Coven of Twilight
by Moon Witch '96
Summary: Bella Swan isn't normal. No matter how much she wishes to be, something deep within her screams at her that this fact is the truest of things. When tragedy strikes, it all starts to make sense why. Forks is a place where she will discover who she truly is...But Forks has dangerous secrets, just like her... It's only a matter of time before those secrets kill her...Or Save her. R
1. Prologue

**Prologue **

Snow fell, softly, gracefully, and so silent, weaving through the frozen air in such a way that it seemed to be dancing to reach its destination, the ground. The ground was of a meadow, somewhere deep in the forest of Washington, and it was already covered in a white blanket caused by previous snowfall, dusting and smothering the already long dead grasses and wildflowers that had once bloomed so brightly. An icy and chilling melody sounded throughout the meadow, as if somewhere far, yet near, the water of stream flowed. The melody echoed around, bouncing around against the tall and ancient trees, that seemed to touch the very heavens. Their old and weathered trunks too were covered in a soft blanket of pristine snow, with only the slightest bit of green moss peeking through it.

A small, cloaked figure sat trembling in the middle of this meadow, almost waist deep in snow, yet seemingly not to be troubled at all at that fact, as it rocked its arms gently back and forth, singing along to the winter stream's melody. The figure's almost blue lips mumbled sweet nothings to the the bundle of blankets that was clasped firmly in its still rocking arms. The figures wide, child-like eyes were half lidded as well as swollen and red, underneath them dark violet smudges stood starkly against her almost sickly pale skin. Her face was drawn tightly inward, and her cheeks were hallowed. Dull, lank, long brown hair flowed out of her hood, touching the ground. Already, the girl, or really young woman seemed to be in the first stages of hypothermia, yet once again, she didn't seem to care, as her attention was firmly fixed upon the bundle of blankets.

"Can you fell it, _cara_?" whispered the woman, her bell like voice cutting and echoing through the meadow like a haunting bell.

The woman only received as an answer a gurgling coo, coming from the bundle in her arms. She smiled, her blue lips pulling widely and almost manically tight across her thin face. It was a beautiful face, yet at the moment it seemed to be nothing but broken, save for the look in the woman's eyes, of deep love and caring for the one who had answered her from the blankets. Her cara_. _A small, delicate hand as pale as the snow around the woman lifted from the blankets, a bright and luminescent aura covered that impossibly small hand, golden flame along with violet, with the smallest hint of red flickering through as it seemed to dance like real flames. It light up the woman's face in sharp relief, to such a point that her impossible beautiful and broken face looked inhuman, which, really it was.

"Impossibly strong, aren't you,_cara_? Almost as strong as I am..." stated the woman with bitterness in her bell like voice, her own small hand being surrounded with an aura of flickering blues and reds.

She touched the even smaller hand gently with just her fingertips, noting to herself that the hand she held wasn't even as big as her palm yet. The smaller hand soon lost its flame and, with another coo, reached out again, only this time with its twin, to touch the woman's face. Again, a smile broke out on this woman's face, only this time, a much more gentler one, one that was truly smiling down at the infant that lay in her arms.

"You will be powerful, my little _dolce__... _More powerful than me... More powerful than my mother, or her mother, or even her mother! You will be so powerful that the very air will ripple with your power, the very earth will tremble at your will! You will change the world little one... With all your power... You could have done those things... Oh my little _dolce_, you could have done all of that! But, oh, how can I let you? How can I let you become _**that**_? I cannot little one... So feel the energy of this place little one..." The woman whispered passionately to the infant, blue lips trembling and tears drifting slowly down her sunken cheeks.

She took a deep breath, before continuing on:

" Feel it, one last time... For, well, I renounce this. And I renounce for you whatever power would have been granted to you... I renounce for both of us..."

The infant let out a soft, mournful wail, she jerked around in the woman's arms for a second, seeming distressed. Suddenly, the infant lay completely still and silent. Her large, gem like violet looked up at the woman in front of her with a deep sorrow lingering in the young irises, as if the infant knew a great wrong was about to be done to her. Thick, warm tears slipped down the infant face, each crystal like tear eating at the woman's being, as she too knew that what she was about to do was the wrong thing. The woman closed her expressive and child-like eyes, lowering her blue lips to the child's forehead, one of her hands coming up to move the glossy mahogany locks that stood in her way, part of her musing that before she had discovered her daughter's destiny her own hair had been that beautiful color. She sighed softly onto her daughter's skin, wishing that she didn't have to do this, that her child had been normal...

She laughed bitterly at the thought, removing her lips from her daughter's skin. She took a long look at her child, and wondered if the world's problems, _**her**_ problems would simply fade away if she left her daughter here in this forsaken clearing. Left her in the bitter cold, left her and made sure that she would never become_** that**_. That she wouldn't be the tool to those bastards. That she would never... The woman shook her head rapidly, horrified, yet not, at the thoughts that had slipped through her mind. She couldn't do that to her child. Her child... Their child whispered a soft voice in her mind, conjuring the image of her husband.

"Charlie..." whispered the woman, horrified.

Her Charlie. The man she had fallen in love with, that handsome, brave man that was her soul mate. She would have to leave him. She knew this deep in her heart. He would never accept her, he simply couldn't accept what she was, being such a serious man, such a level headed person... Never... She be a freak to him... A damn freak... Just like a her baby would be unless she left. She had to do it for sake, if anything else. She had to save her baby from what would happen to her. She had to do it...

Suddenly, the woman stood. Some snow that had gathered on her fell hastily to the ground, as the woman once again took one last look around her, before closing her eyes, deep breaths slipping out o her, visible as white puffs in front of her blue tinged lips. Her eyes snapped open, seeming to almost glow with the same power of what had been around her hand only a few moments ago.

"_By my power_ _ we shall never return to this place, or join in the dances of any circle..._" whispered the woman, her hold on the infant strong.

Though her words were whispered, they seemed to be impossibly loud, and the very forest around her seemed to be holding its breath, as even that far off music of the stream was suddenly silent. The woman smiled, hauntingly and inhumanly beautiful as a strong, bitter wind whipped around her, the infant in her arms whimpering softly as it swept over her.

"..._As I will it, so it shall be._" finished the woman, both the glow of her eyes dying along with the wind.

She spun around quickly, running into the forest, mad laughter as well as tears escaping her. Both the mournful cries of her daughter and one that seemed to be coming from the ancient locket that swung around her neck went ignored as she dashed deeper and deeper into the forest, leaving behind the power that had been so important in her life. The woman really only paid mind to the voice that was whispering into her mind, the one that hoped that this was enough to save her daughter.

**AN: So yeah... For anyone who has read my previous incarnations, what do you think? Do you think it's good? Please give me in-depth feed back people... Really that should go for anyone whose reading this I suppose... Anyway, for anyone who is wondering, those funny that were italicized and underlined words were Italian. I'm not Italian myself, if anyone is wondering and I don't speak it, the language just suits my purpose. Google Translate is a niffty thing by the way =3. Anyway, they are, respectively: **

**Dolce: sweet **

**Cara:love **


	2. Liar

**Chapter One: Liar**

_Fourteen Years Later..._

The girl took shallow breaths, her legs pumping, and her keen violet eyes looking out in front of her with the utmost concentration. Her brows were scrunched up, and her almost blindingly white teeth tore at her pale and plump lower lip. Sweat trickled down her cheek as she suppressed tears in her odd eyes, as once again, she ran away from the cruelty of her peers. Her rather scruffy backpack hit her at an annoying steady pace on her back, and the rubber of her black sneakers slapped rather loudly against concrete the sidewalk in a steady beat of her running footsteps. Her long and rather unpractical hair streamed behind her as she ran like a banner of pure mahogany, glittering red in the winter sunlight. The landscape of suburbia around her was aflame with the heat of the unbearable sun, the air extremely dry, and the distance in front of her was hazed and distorted at an almost dancing mirage.

It didn't matter she thought with a silent scream, as she unknowingly put one graceful foot in front of another, moving as fast as her oddly long legs would allow her. It didn't matter, none of it did. She was tired of all this. She was tired of the freakn' snide comments, tired of all the small little pushes, the cruel little smirks. She was tired of all the looks that turned her way when anything went even the slightest wrong, or anything that went odd. She wanted out. She wanted a due over. She wanted some peace of mind. She wanted just to for once in her life, herself. And she wanted that _now_.

She tore through the sweltering heat that hung in the arid air, she tore past the dozens of green lawns, the rock filled lawns that she felt more appropriate for the sprawling desert city that was Phoenix. She tore past the playing children without looking at their happy faces, she tore past the expensive cars that glittered in the winter desert sun. She tore past it all with one thing on her mind. She was going to leave her school, she needed to transfer out, at what ever cost. Where? Well, to her it really didn't matter to her where. Maybe at her father, Charlie's place? Yeah... That will do thought the girl with a fierce smile, glad that she had found a solution to her problem. She had been wanting to spend more time with her father anyway. If she lived with him now she could have a nice little restart of her life in the tiny little town in the middle of nowhere... Where nobody had heard of her oddness. During the rest of the run, the girl held a great deal of hope blazing in her heart, having no idea that that hope would soon be gone.

When the girl finally reached her destination, her own home, she felt a shiver go up her spine, like a dozens of ice cold spiders had run up her back. The girl felt the most sudden feeling of dread, and she felt bile rise up in her throat, which she swallowed back with much disgust. Something was going to happen. The girl knew this, she could never really explain how she knew, but she did. Something was going to happen, and by the way she was feeling, she had to take a guess that it was going to be bad.

She remembered this exact feeling she thought as she walked up the dark wooden steps of her porch, stepping with care. This feeling had happened only once before... When Grandma Swan died she thought with a soft and sad sigh... She shook her head to erase those morbid thoughts, as it gave her an even worse feeling. As she climbed the last step, the girl finally took note of _how_ she was walking.

Gracefully. In such a way that she knew that any prima ballerina would kill to be able to copy. The girl froze, gasping. This wasn't how she walked. It _**wasn't**_. She walked tripping over anything. And nothing. She walked in such a way that sometimes she wondered how in the hell she got anywhere. She knew she was as graceful as a butterfly without wings. She had to be. The girl took a cautious step forward, forgetting her awful feeling, to test her new 'grace'. She was stunned to see how she moved, how her legs seemed to take a mind of their own and dance her to the door with graceful step after graceful step. The girl shook her head, digging around in her skirt pocket for a few seconds to fish out her key, she really did not have the time to linger on this. She jammed the keys into the lock, her pale hand trembling as she turned it, and slipped inside her house.

Cool darkness met the girl as she closed the door behind her, a slight breath of relief slipping past her plump lips at the frigged air that breathed across her skin. The only thing she loved about living in such a hot climate, thought the girl with a small and almost nonexistent smile, was the benefit of such a awesome air conditioner. She hated hot weather with a passion of ironically a thousand burning suns, and couldn't really tolerate it that much. It was rather ironic as well that she lived in Phoenix, Arizona of all places, considering it was one of the places in the United States that received the highest temperatures... The girl's rather strange colored eyes took a moment to adjust to the gloom, before she could see the rather messy and simple living room that had been in her home for the longest time.

Her mother was on one of the two worn and well frayed couches, her long and tan legs stretched out on the rather beat up coffee table, one of her bare and wiggling toed feet moving slightly to an unknown beat. She also hummed as she flipped through the cosmetic magazine, which rested on her lap. The girl smiled at her mother, relived to see her familiar face, and wondering at the fact that the sight of her child-like eyes always calmed her.

"Hey Mom." said the girl, some part of her less worried the second she laid eyes on her mother.

Her mother looked up, a gentle smile pulling at her plump lips. She looked remarkably similar to her daughter, as she was around the same petite height as her, and her face was shaped just like her's, a lovely heart shape, that to most, looked as if a doll was coming to life before their eyes. The only differences between the mother and daughter was that the former had tan skin, versus her daughter's alabaster like skin, as well as the fact that the daughter had no wrinkles gracing the corner of her eyes or around her mouth in sharp laugh lines like the mother, or even the fact that the mother's eyes were a normal looking blue and brown speckled color against the light violet eyes of her daughter. Of course, the fact that the mother only had chin length hair cut in spikes and stylishly around her face, not the waist length old fashion way the daughter had her hair cut in played a factor on how alike the two of them looked.

Her mother, at the moment, was standing up, and rushing over to embrace the girl in a completely happy movement.

"Bella!" she greeted happily, oblivious to the fact that the girl was on edge.

The girl, Bella, rushed out of her mother's embrace, and threw her backpack under the coffee table like she always did, grateful for the lost of the rather heavy weight and stepped back from her mother, her face distressed, and her white teeth biting on her lower lip.

"Mom? Can I talk to you about something?" she said this a little shakily, trying her hardest not to let the tears of anger slip down her cheeks.

Her mother did nothing else but simply nod, her lips pulling down into a frown at the fact that her daughter was so close to tears. Bella herself took a moment to take a deep breath, trying to calm down and explain her wish as logically as possible, as well, that usually won her argument against her mother, because the pair of them couldn't both start screaming and whining. So, with the utmost care, or really, with as much brutal honesty as she could, she spoke:

"Can you please transfer me to a different school, the one in Forks? I know that I don't see Charlie much, and I want to change that... I want to get to know my father..." pleaded Bella with just the smallest hint of whine in her otherwise somewhat stiff voice.

Her mother frowned even deeper, and said quite plainly:

"No."

Bella bit her lip harder.

"But I hardly ever get to see him, and it be nice to get away from the city-" started Bella desperately.

But her mother would not hear a word of it, scowling.

"Isabella Marie, I said _**no**_."snapped her mother.

Bella knew that it was hopeless the second her mother said her full name, let alone her middle name along with it, and simply felt pure dismay at the thought that she would still be stuck in the particle hell hole that was her high school. Bella found herself forgetting her dismay at her mother's flat out refusal as she suddenly felt the feeling of dread in her stomach come back in full force, as well as the fine hairs in the back of her neck rising up. She felt too cold as well, as if someone had turned down the air conditioner to the lowest setting. The cold spiders were back, and with such a strong vengeance at that. She found herself incredibly surprised when she started shivering violently, and her knees buckled when the feeling of dread hit her whole self. Her mother, thankfully caught her upper arms before she could fall to the ground.

"Bella are you okay?" asked her mother, in unison with a different, more masculine voice.

Both the females in the room looked up to see a man in his early twenties looking rather frightened and standing by the now open door, keys in hand. His head was graced with a buzz cut and his eyes were a staring rather grimly at Bella, the brown and almost golden color that had always had her wishing wistfully for it to be her own where drenched with fear and dread. It suddenly clicked in Bella's head that he felt what she was feeling at the moment.

"It feels like something is about to happen, doesn't it Phil?" whispered Bella, her face ashen and her violet eyes full of dread as she looked on at him.

Both her mother, and the man, Phil, looked shocked at Bella's words. Her mother in particular looked down at her trembling and gasped. She looked toward Phil with an ashen face.

"She broke it. She broke through." whispered the woman, eyes wide.

Phil simply nodded grimly.

"It seems that she did Renee... It seems that she did." whispered Phil, looking at Bella with more than a little awe in his voice.

The mother, Renee suddenly looked furious. She shoved her daughter onto the couch somewhat harshly. Bella could only really blink in surprise, as well, her mom had never treated her that way.

"She can't have! It's not possible for her to break through, it has to mean-" screamed the mother, Renee, eyes seemingly aflame with light.

Phil interrupted, going over to Bella, and helping her to her feet with a surprisingly gentle hand, as he was a very muscular man.

"If she's having the _sentimenti_ then she broke through... Renee, you can't dwell on this now, we have to go, _**now**_!" Phil said in an urgent voice, carefully pulling Bella away from the couch.

Not a second after that balls of fire broke through the windows to light the couch on fire, soon engulfing it in a matter a seconds in a fiery mass of dancing red flames. Which of course, since the girl Bella had been sitting there not a second before, she had to scream at the sight. The girl only stopped screaming as she felt a sharp pain slice across her cheek, and her head snap to the side rather sharply. She had been slapped.

"Bella, not now!" screamed Renee, her hand still raised as if she was going to slap her daughter all over again.

Bella could barely suppress the tears that gathered in her eyes. Her mother had never slapped her. She had never, ever, even raised her hand at her, even in the deepest fit of anger. But she ignored that, she could wonder what the hell had possessed her mother, at the moments she needed to know now what the hell was going on to cause such a possession. She opened her mouth to ask only to be silenced as Phil crushed his lips to her mother's, his brilliant eyes closing in a quick fluttering movement. Her mother was quickly following Phil's example and she kissed the younger man, eyes fluttering closed as well. Bella had the urge to look away, because that type of kiss was a kiss for only the couple should be a part of. But she didn't. She could only watch, shocked as they kissed with a passion that was very, very raw. Their very soft whimpers and not so soft moans roaring through her ears as she watched wide eyed, completely numb.

It was the type of kiss that lead to other things. The type of kiss of the most desperate, maddest, and absolute love could make. It was not just a meeting of lips, it was a pure display of passion and lust, and so many other things that Bella couldn't quite name. It seemed like an eternity before Phil and her mother separated, though it had only lasted even the briefest seconds. And even then they lingered. With the greatest hesitation as if the couple couldn't bear to be apart. Bella had never felt so utterly alone. Phil's forehead rested on her mother's, and they looked into each others eyes with something that was burning, powerful, and from reason that Bella couldn't quite put her finger on, the most saddest and utterly real thing that there could possibly be in someone's gaze. This too seemed to last eternity, and something in Bella seemed to break, and she felt the most sharp longing to find something like that for her own.

"Go... Run... I'll stale..." whispered Phil desperately to Renee, licking his lips.

Renee simply looked at him, her wide child-like eyes staring at him with such a look that broke Bella's heart. They both lingered for a moment longer, before they broke apart without another word, yet some unknown words passing between them as their eyes locked for a briefest moments, somehow even more intimate and much more communicative than the kiss they had shared only moments before.

Renee took Bella's hand dragging her at a rapid pace into the house. Bella turned her face back for just a moment to see Phil's back straight as a rod, chin lifted in defiance, his golden-brown eyes focused on the door like liquid hot steel, burning and completely fluid, yet still incredibly strong and steady. His form disappeared from Bella's sight the second her mother lead her around a corner, and Bella instead focused on where her mother was taking her to. They made it to the rather messy master bedroom, and her mother tore across the room, lifting her mattress, and surprising Bella completely by showing a secret compartment in the frame. She didn't know about that. How could she not know about that? She knew everything about the house. _**Everything**_. She had to, after all, she did everything. From the taxes to the bills. It was necessary, after all, how could her flighty, childish mother do it herself? It was Bella's job to make sure the house was in perfect order...

But that didn't change the fact that that the compartment was there, and that her mother may not be as flighty or as childish as she seemed. It took her mother a minute, but her mother managed to pull out a very large, and a very ancient looking chest. Then she threw it in the air in a clumsy movement, making Bella gape at the fact that after a brief flash of light, the 'chest' tumbled into her mother's hand as a very old, and a very smaller looking locket. Her mother pushed it into her clammy hands and gave the most serious look that Bella had ever seen in her fifteen years of life.

It didn't suit her mother's face. It made her look so much older, to the point that she looked like an old crone, her wrinkles seemingly deeper, her skin much more looser on her delicate bones, seemingly to look gray despite her heavy tan. Her eyes dulled into a flat lifelessness, and it made Bella feel so utterly exposed that she felt naked. Her mother's childlike eyes always had held a light. A somewhat small one, but one nonetheless, a light that was bright and glittering. A light that for the oddest reason made her love her mother all the more. But it was gone and those dull eyes were directed at her.

It was then that her mother dragged her to the shutter closet, and began to pile clothes after clothes onto her. She then slammed the door. Her mother's small hands slipped through the the blinds, clutching at the wood with so much pressure that Bella thought that it would surely break. Her dull eyes seemed to stare right at her, though Bella knew that her mother couldn't see her.

"Stay here... When you can, _**run**_. Don't lose that locket, just run... And whatever you do, do not leave this closet unless you know it's safe for you..." whispered her mother desperately.

Bella could only give a shaky breath, eyes watering. A spare hand reached out to touch her mother's fingers. Her mother flinched at the touch, and her fingers curled if it was even possible even more tightly on the wood, and Bella gave a small gasp when she saw the sturdy oak crack a little.

"_**Please**_ Bella... Promise me..." whispered her mother.

Bella felt a cold chill settle in her stomach.

"I promise..." she whispered weakly back to her mother.

Her mother smiled, eyes watery and still dull with lifelessness.

"I'm so sorry that I couldn't prevent this from happening... I _**tried**_ so hard to spare you from this..." said her mother sadly.

It was then when they heard the scream. A loud, utterly inhuman sound that a large part of Bella denied was even human. But somehow, she knew. She knew that the sound that made her blood freeze was a human sound of utter pain and agony. That made it even more terrible, that such a sound could be produced by the human vocal cords. It roared in her ears and it echoed across her the house with such a sickening productiveness and loudness. And it seared itself into her memory, and Bella knew that for the rest of her life that scream was going to be with her, that it would haunt her until her last breath. It didn't help that only a moment later the scream was cut off quite suddenly. The silence that followed it was almost as painful and as hard to listen to as the scream.

And then Bella caught the look of complete horror and pain across her mother's face. It was the look of someone that had just been torn apart, the look that made Bella's face drain of all color. And it was at that moment that her heart was clasped by something completely and utterly cold. It was also the moment that her mother whipped around, tears splattering from her eyes, and feet wide apart, fist clenched at her side in a fighting stance. A moment later, and Bella knew exactly why. The door fell over in a loud slam, and both her mother and Bella tensed. A dozen or so people came into the room, clad in cloaks, and part of Bella wondered quite hysterically why the Death Eaters were storming her home.

That thought was crushed the second the wall of black cloaks parted, heads bowed as if in prayer. And someone stepped forward from the throng, movements graceful, no sound being produced at all as they practically glided across the hard wood floor, standing tall and proud, completely arrogant in manner. The figure would have towered over Bella quite easily if she had been standing, and she could see that he did tower over most in the room. He was a giant, as well as of a strongly muscular build. His face, from what she could tell, was completely covered in the shadow of his hood, save for a his thin lips, and his strongly chiseled chin. He was utterly pale, and with a jolt, Bella noticed that for the first time in her life, someone's skin color was close to her own, though she knew that his was a shade or two darker than her's. His long arms came out in a graceful movement, towards her mother, as if the figure would want nothing more than to wrap those arms around her, in a tight and crushing embrace.

"Ah, my sweet little Renee... What a pleasure it is... What has it been, around seventeen years since we last saw each other? " whispered the figure, voice deep and masculine, and completely and utterly cold.

It froze Bella in place, and made her heart beat furiously against her ribcage in a way that was very painful. His voice was like arctic chains or serpents wrapping itself around her in a deadly and frightening embrace. Her mother, on the other hand, reacted very violently toward the man, a shockingly reptilian hiss escaping her lips as her chin lifted in defiance.

"_**You!**_" screamed out her mother.

Her fisted hands came up in a sharp, rapid movement placed in front of her. It was then that it happened. Around her mother's delicate and thin boned hands light bloomed to life. And it wasn't just a stationary aura of light, no it was a complete array of dancing flames, all blue and golden hues, intermingling in a beautiful and primal dance of flickering arms moving wildly to an unknown beat. And it took all of Bella's willpower not to gasp at the gorgeous sight. A part of her was completely shocked at the display of energy, another part of her's wasn't... The figure's thin lips simply smiled at her mother's reaction, and Bella couldn't help but shiver at it.

"Seventeen years and all you can mange is a monosyllable and a little light show... It seems that I haven't lost my effect on you Renee..." said the figure chuckling in amusement.

Her mother merely hissed again, this time in a way that echoed in Bella's ears, making her tremble, because she could almost feel the very malice vibrating through that hiss. The figure merely chuckled again, the thin lips pulling into a big smile.

"Yes, yes, your are very displeased to see me, I get it my sweet, now, down to business... Where is that lovely little trinket of yours, the ah, Locket of Twilight was it?"asked the man voice drawling and completely bored.

It was her mother's turn to smile, some of the life and fire coming back into her child-like eyes.

"You. Will. Never. Touch. It." whispered out her mother in a hauntingly fierce voice.

The man merely tsked, shaking his hooded head in disapproval, one finger moving back and forth in a 'no, no' gesture. He took a single step forward.

"Please Renee, be reasonable... That little trinket of yours holds the key to finding the Maiden...So of course we need it, as the policing force of our world we have an every right to it, since you refuse to use it yourself...As the lieutenant of the Volturi's this is a direct order of the man in charge of the western hemisphere... Give me the trinket." said the man, in such a hypnotic and powerful voice that it made Bella slump to the ground with the sheer intensity of it.

Her mother just smiled a smug yet lifeless smile.

"Please, do you really think that your silly little hocus pocus will work on me? Oh, no, not now. Not every again." she said dryly, hand lifting up as if she was inspecting her nails in sheer boredom.

The man bared his teeth, snarling as he took yet another step forward.

"Give it to me, and I will spare your life, unlike the man's." he hissed out.

Bella's mother stiffened, and so did Bella. Her heart beat roared in her ears and she suppressed a gasp of horror at the man's words. At his_** lies**_. Because Phil couldn't be dead... No! NO! NO! Hadn't Bella seen him only moments ago, kissing her mother with such a passionate love that it took her breath away? Hadn't she seen him standing straight and proud looking at the burning windows with firey and steady eyes? _**Hadn't **_she? But she knew deep down that he wasn't lying, no matter how much she wanted him to, she knew. She knew by having that inhuman scream echo in her ears, _**his**_ scream. She knew by the look of complete and utter grief on her mother's gray face. Which quickly turned into such a furious and inhuman look that it shook Bella to the very core.

All feeling left Bella the second her mother's face twisted even further and she started to scream, the very same scream that had echoed from Phil's throat, only this time, it was much more higher, and happening in front of her, the sound so shockingly loud that Bella covered her ears, part of her noting briefly that the locket her mother had shoved at her was still in her left hand. Her mother's eyes were wild and hazed as she screamed, and all of her body was covered in the energy of her hands. Her clothes and hair whipped wildly in the blinding and burning haze of blue and golden flames. Her blood froze in her very veins when she felt a sort of force rush over her, like the shock-wave of an explosion, or a very hot wind blowing itself across her skin. And she knew it was because of the energy from her mother's 'little light show'. She looked like an arc-angel about to bring destruction to Bella, and part of her felt the utmost dread as her mother pounced in the direction of the man.

"_**YOU BASTARD**_!" She screamed in a voice that was not her own, but a collection of dozens of voices trying to escape through her mother's throat at once.

The man didn't even flinch, and with a lazy flick of his long and elegant fingers, he threw a ball of black flames toward her mother's chest. It hit with sickening accuracy, the force of that blow making her mother be flung backwards, and land on her back with a sickening thud. The brilliant and blinding aura that had gathered only moments before faded quickly into nothing, and something splattered against the walls of the room, and the closet door, and some across Bella's cheek. It took her a moment to register that the bright, crimson thing that had come from her mother was blood, and Bella had to bite her hand to prevent herself from screaming.

The man lifted his hood away from his face, and Bella started long and hard at the man that had attacked her mother. It was a strong, striking face, handsome to an almost impossible degree. It was a face that would have inspired the old masters to take up a brush and to make a master peace out of it. But it was such a cold face. Such a cruel looking face that looked as if it had been chiseled from stone.

"You had been everything to me Renee. You would have been my queen. _**WE**_ would have been powerful together. But you threw it all away for that stupid mortal man, Swan. Then for that weakling down stairs. Its a pity that your power was weaken to this state. Goodbye my little Renee." said the man without much emotion, only the smallest hint of regret in his voice.

He turned to the cloaked people, pale hands once again coming up to lift his hood once again.

"Let's leave this place." he said, toward the people that had remained silent throughout the whole ordeal.

They all disappeared with a flash of light. It was silent for a minute before the strength returned to Bella's limbs, and she struggled out of the clothes that had kept her hidden, and safe. She burst through the blind doors toward her mother. She kneeled in the quickly pooling blood without hesitation, clutching at her mother's hands.

"Mom...Your going to be okay, just hold on, just hold!" she screamed, ignoring the heavy and warm tears that filled her odd eyes and slipped past her pale cheeks.

She looked down at her mother's chest to see if she could do anything to help her. Blood was everywhere. It covered her mother's chest in such a fountain of gore that she somehow doubted that the human body could carry that much. More poured out, and she could see the white of bone peeking through all of the mess red. The stench of rust and iron assaulted her as more of the blood poured out, with alarming speed and part of her whispered in her mind that nothing could be done. But she ignored that whisper, desperately trying to remember what little first aid she knew. Her mother's hoarse, weak voice brought her attention to her pale and colorless face.

"It's... to... Late... Be..lla..."

Her mother coughed, and blood appeared at the corner of her lips in a mixture of spittle and bile.

"Shhhh. You're going to be fine... You're going to make it. Hold on, just hold on mom." Bella whispered to her, one trembling hand on her face to whip away the blood and bile from her lips, the other holding her hand weakly.

Her mother just smiled weakly, her eyes lighting up in just the way that she adored so much, real fire seemingly to glow from the depths of her blue irises. Her small hand slipped from Bella's trembling grip and touched her tear stained cheek, whipping the tears away with her cold and clammy hand in a clumsy and stiff movement.

"Isabella Marie Swan...I promise I will never leave you." whispered her mother, voice a soft whisper, hand limply falling away from her face as she whispered the last word.

Then she was gone. No matter how much Bella screamed at her for it to come back, she never did. She saw her mother's eyes lose the light that she had always loved. She saw them grow dull and completely gray, flat and utterly lifeless. And as the pungent smoke filled the room, as the blood on Bella slowly stiffened, and as the still horrible smell of iron and rust filled her nose, she noticed something for the first time in her fifteen years of life. She noticed something that tore her apart inside as she sobbed over her mother's lifeless corpse. Her mother was a _**liar**_.

**An: Okay, Firstly I like to apologize for taking so long in writing this chapter, sorry! (Really I am) **

**Secondly, I like to say that I do NOT, (key word there) own Twilight, it's characters or ideas in any way shape or form.**

**Thirdly, I'm sure you are all wondering what exactly do I plan to go with this version of the story, considering that I have written three separate versions of it... Well, at the moment I can say this: This is the last and final version of this story. I will not in any way rewrite it again, so Yay! Also, some of the upcoming chapters will divert from my previous versions, so please expect it to change and not be the same as the previous ones. **

**Fourthly, I currently have planned about thirty two chapters for this story. Maybe that number will change if I combine chapters or if I separate them along the way. And I fully intend to write all of them, in other words, I will finish this, even if it kills me! Oh, and the possibility of a sequel is very high, if I want to complete the full story at least... And a multitude of one-shots as well to write anything that hasn't or didn't make it into the official story... **

** Anyway, I like to leave a final note of thanking anyone that reads this story, reviewers especially. It makes me very happy that the insane things my mind come up with have some merit to it. Oh, and thank you if you bothered to read the authoress note, I know it was very long this time. **


	3. The Killing Of Innocent Aliens

**The Killing Of Innocent Aliens**

_One Month Later..._

Soft and haunted violet eyes looked out of a rounded and almost squared white window or really porthole, noting that the world outside it was completely and utterly gray in an endless expansion of gray cloud after gray cloud, as far as the oddly colored eyes could see, in a monochromatic expansion of utter dullness. The view from this window had been like this for quite some time, though when the plane had first taken off the sky had been the most perfect blue, cloudless and the brilliant winter sun had appeared to be following the plane. The yellow rays of the sun had played across her face in a intense, but comforting way, warming her chilled skin that never seemed to get enough warmth as of late, and she had sighed in sadness when the sun had dipped and hide behind the clouds, before it had disappeared completely, and she had said her silent goodbye to it, because she knew that the sun, though for the most part of her life hadn't really been welcomed, as she hated the heat and anything associated with it, would be miss as it had been a constant symbol of her home.

When a few stray drops of water hit the window, breaking the owner of the violet eyes out of their inner thoughts, and also making them wondered a little dully if it was raining bellow the endless gray, and they knew if that was the case, that they were flying over her birth state of Washington, where it always seemed to be raining... Part of her hoped that they were near Seattle, the place that she would be taking her next hour or so long flight. It wasn't as if the girl hated flying, in fact she always had loved it, even now she did, but she just didn't feel very comfortable in the small space she was in, or the people that surround her in such a small space... She felt slightly like a social pariah for thinking this way,but she didn't think she could help but feel this way... But thought the girl with a quick glance at her shiny new watch, as the flight was only one hour in, she quickly dismissed the thought of being anywhere near Seattle, knowing that though the plane was faster than any other means of transportation, it _**wasn't**_ that fast. The owner of the eyes gave an inner snorted, rolling their eyes away from the plane window to glance absently at her neighbor, who was still jamming away at their colorful game device, as they had the second they had sat down next to her.

The owner of the violet eyes, otherwise know as Bella Swan looked back to the window or porthole, shifting slightly in her leather seat, uncomfortable for being so close to another person, especially someone who was just so _**big**_. It was a good thing that she was heading to Forks, Washington in that case, she thought with another inner snort. It was a quaint little town, in the middle of nowhere and about an hour or so away from the closet city... And with only a thousand or so inhabitants, as well as it almost near constant cover of gloomy clouds, along with the almost ever present rain... It just made the perfect place for Bella to mourn...

She tore herself away from those sad thoughts, glancing out of the corner of her eye to see that the person next to her was still focused on his game before taking out the one item that she felt a little bipolar about. One the one hand, she hated it. It mere existence had caused her to lose two people that she had loved, and still loved... On the other hand, it was really the only connection to what_** should **_have been her birthright... It was such a simple little thing. A old locket... A sliver locket etched with what she supposed to be runes, or maybe even some type of Greek or Latin... It was small, fitting in the palm of her own tiny hand, and the blue stone that centered it glowed in a way that Bella was sure that only she could see... She had no idea what stone it was, as it was just to bright of a color to be a simple blue topaz, and again it was too deep for a blue diamond... The closet thing that she could guess was that it was a sapphire, plain and simple... But even then Bella doubted that, it was just really to simple to be that type of stone... All and all, the sliver locket was a beautiful thing, and something she would have never worn before, but something that she figured she would wear now forever... Because it was so utterly and truly her's. By default if anything, but it was still_** her's**_, at least that's she was what she had gathered from what _**she**_ had said...

When Bella felt the locket beneath her pale fingertips hum softly in an almost comforting manner, interrupting her inner thoughts, she just barely managed to stop herself from allowing a rather vulgar swear from escaping her lips, and hastily tucked the still humming locket back into her shirt, not wanting to deal with her at all, or at least not at the moment with over a dozen or so people could overhear her talking to the hunk of metal that hung around her neck. She really didn't want strangers to call an asylum the second they landed in Seattle, because that would be so utterly humiliating that Bella was sure that would actually cause her to actually snap and fall into insanity... Part of her already felt as if she was on the edge of already snapping, and another part of her wondered if she wasn't already insane, as the things that had happened to her the past month or so would be considered impossible to any normal, sane person... But then again, Bella thought shifting once again in her seat, she wasn't _**exactly **_normal... And she knew that the whole sanity thing was still up for serious debate.

"Miss, do you want anything?" asked a soft voice, which made Bella jump almost a foot in the air.

Bella looked away from the window to see a flight attendant leaning rather obnoxiously across her neighbor, her large chest dangerously near his head, and she knew that if a sudden turbulence were to occur, he would get an impromptu set of cushions to the face. Bella frowned at the attendant, knowing for certain that she hadn't pressed any button to call her, and she had certainly hadn't flagged down the woman. She looked into her slightly lustful gray eyes, that kept flickering to his direction and noticed with a snort that the woman blinked, her mouth dropping slightly when she caught sight of Bella's own eyes. She was used to this, as violet was a rather rare color, to say the least, to have for an eye color, and she had had her fair share of onlookers in her short lifetime.

"No." said Bella simply, looking raising an eyebrow at the woman.

The curvy attendant forced a smile onto her thickly painted lips, and she tucked her short blonde hair behind her ears. She leaned even further forward, almost crawling onto the lap of her neighbor, whose eyes flicker upwards for the briefest second, frowning, and then flickered to Bella's for a second, a silent plea in their endless depths. He then went directly back to his game, as if he didn't notice the woman at all, and Bella had to hold back yet another snort, feeling a bit merciful, she dismissed the woman with a smile, before turning back to the window.

"Are you sure, dear?" said the woman.

Bella had the urge to roll her eyes, instead she turned back to the attendant. The woman was so transparent, and a little stupid. If she wanted to show her certain assets to a man, she didn't have to use her as a way to do so. Why she hadn't just talked to the man was beyond Bella, as she was sure she wasn't shy, or else why would she be particular shoving her breasts into his face? She was trying to be 'sly' and 'subtle', and from what Bella could see, she was utterly failing at it, at least in this case.

"Yes, _**ma'am**_, now why don't you see to someone else, I'm sure they can use your... Services much better than I or my neighbor can." said Bella with an innocent smile and tone.

The woman flushed, her gray eyes narrowing as she straighten, marching away with her head held high. She heard a slight snort come from said neighbor, and he looked up to give her a nod of thanks before returning to his game, letting out a swear... She turned back to her window, and stared out it for a brief moment, deciding that it was so utterly boring...

She glanced around her again, hoping that their was something, _**anything**_ more interesting than the endless expansion of gray clouds... And noted that the very tall guy next to her was still going at his game. She almost smiled. He had more or less had ignored the rather curvy attendant who had tried to get his attention rather easily, but when he had gotten passed a certain point he had asked for help, which raised Bella's respect for her unnamed neighbor, because most people she had known were rather stubborn about doing things themselves, including _**herself**_... Her neighbor one the other hand seemed to be able to accept help from other people, and that was rather rare, for Bella at least, to see... Plus, he had been ever dedicated to his game, which was a little humorous.

He was swearing at the moment with a few growls thrown into the mix, and his whole demeanor was giving out pure and utter frustration. He moved and jumped with a edge of frustration in his seat, his hand coming up to shove his bangs out of the way of his eyes, before swearing once again, his hand snapping his hand back to the console, and his bangs once again fell into his eyes. Bella raised an eyebrow at his actions, and full of curiosity, she glanced at the screen of his game, wondering why on earth it could cause such a distressed reaction.

She noticed with some amusement that the man next to her completely _**sucked **_at the game, which consisted of the simple plat-former, and the rather mundane task of protecting his home planet, and preventing any of the alien invaders from actually destroying his planet. She almost smiled at the thought of just how simple the whole thing was, plot wise at least... It also seemed a little unfair for the alien invaders. The man next to her had started a new game the second he had sat down, and as far as she could tell, the defending planet hadn't even waited to see if the invaders were hostile before opening fire at them, which had then turned into a full scale war between the two races. It was possible that it was just a plot hole in the game, but to Bella it left it opened to a number of more interesting possibilities, as the ending to the rather predictable game could be a great twist... As in the invading aliens had only come to save the crumbling planet, or something of that nature... But, as far as Bella knew, this game no such thing and was only ever used to kill the innocent aliens.

Again, Bella almost snorted at the thought, thinking that was why she preferred books... Books for certain were more often than not much more plot filled, and while most of the books she read had no real visuals to aid in the story telling, they were much more complex and much more fun than video games... She did admit, at least to herself, that they could be fun in their own right though. She had tried her hand at some when she had been younger, before her mother had allowed her to go to the library without her, as she had been so busy with finding herself when Bella had been a little girl... And because her mother had so _**many **_laying around, at least back then, with so little books, they were what had occupied her time before her mother had started to take her with her to her various lessons...

Bella had an interesting array of skills because of her flighty mother, now that she seriously thought about it... Which ranged on how to write old fashioned calligraphy with an ink well, to rock climbing. Which she had to admit a little sheepishly had been so outrageously fun... Until both her main line and back up line had snapped... And she had miraculously only had had a broken leg because of it... She tore herself away from her memories, not really wanting to dwell on what her mother had failed to teach her in the end, and looked back to her neighbor's game screen to distract herself.

She noticed now that the man was only muttering silently, sweat coming to his dark brow as he started on his last life, and on a level that she guessed was difficult by the way his long and sturdy fingers tapped restlessly against the buttons of his device. She was silently cheering him on in her brain, and wished him the best of luck for killing the invaders of his poor planet... Her wish of luck hadn't done him any good, Bella thought with a inward smile, as he let out a mighty swear that she raised her eyebrows at, thinking that it was an interesting word to add to her vocabulary.

"_My this __strano uomo__ is certainly very bad at this..._" whispered a soft, accented voice, just behind Bella's left ear.

She gave an almighty squeak, jumping almost a foot in the air. Her neighbor turned over to her, and raised an eyebrow, and she felt her pale face flush with surly a very bright shade of crimson.

"You died?" she said to cover up her squeak, more of a squeal really...

He just raised another eyebrow, blushing himself as he then gave her a shrug.

"Oooooh, and that makes you want to squeak little mouse?" said the man with a huff, his husky voice slightly put out.

Bella felt herself flush even darker, in a mixture of embarrassment and anger, because he was being rather rude.

"Well, it's not my fault that you suck." she told him with a role of her eyes.

He blushed a little deeper himself, and gave her a stern look.

"You play this damn game if your soooo good, mouse." he said, shoving the device into her hands.

Bella looked at the very colorful, and very beat up console before looking up at him with raised eyebrows. He took in his appearance, seriously, trying to see what type of person he was... While most things shouldn't be judged by their appearance, Bella knew that people left much more open than they thought in their appearance, and she looked at him with measuring violet eyes, noticing that he didn't flinch at all when he saw the color of her iris, which brought another bout of approval from Bella.

He was rather good looking, and Bella could see to a point why the attendant had draped herself over him, though she herself would never be quite as bold or as somewhat stupid as she had been to get his attention... His russet skin was gorgeous, and she found herself a little jealous of it, as she herself had the skin the color milk, and she knew that if she were to place their arms side by side they would look as different as day or night. He had high cheek bones, almost to sharp, and a stubborn square jaw, and plump lips. His hair was the color of a raven's wing, cropped short and almost buzzed off, save for his rather long bangs that fell into his somewhat large and slanted eyes. They were dark, not quite black, but close, save for the sheen of an almost red color, and they held an almost primal edge to them that made Bella somehow wary, yet somehow safe. He was also, as she had noted before, very tall, easily surpassing the six foot mark by a couple of inches, making him a foot taller and than some than herself. He wasn't overly muscular, she noted as he saw his neat, though worn clothes that he wore, he was just lean, and she had a faint feeling that his lean muscles carried a lot of power behind them.

He looked like a college guy, most likely was one. Though it seemed that he didn't have much money, judging by his worn clothes, battered game and somewhat ripped backpack that was leaning against his shins, he seemed to take care of them, and didn't seem to mind playing with others...

"How do you know I won't run off with this as soon as we land?" asked Bella suddenly after a moment of studying him a little more, shaking his game around slightly.

His primal eyes locked onto her's and he shook his head once.

"You don't seem like the type of person to do that... Plus, I would then follow you to the ends of the earth to get it back." he said with a disarming smile.

Bella almost smiled back, but stopped herself just in time.

"Um, last time I checked I was not a mouse, or any other type of rodent for that matter." she said with a roll of her eyes.

He laughed. A loud boisterous laugh that was kind and almost like a bark.

"Whatever you say, kid, I mean, wow, when you squeaked it sound so close to a mouse that I had thought for a moment that there was one on this plane, and that I wouldn't be taking this airline in the future!" snorted her neighbor.

Bella flushed, and felt her lips form an unintentional pout.

"I am not a 'kid.'" she said without much effort.

He chuckled.

"You are young, you are short, hence, kid." as he said this offhandedly, he ticked it off the rather insulting descriptions on his long and dark fingers.

"I hate to break it to you, but I _**am**_ sixteen years old as of this December... And, I also like to point out that you are a virtual giant, and _**hence**_, everyone is short to you." said Bella a little snidely.

He patted her head as if she was a very young child, smile easily in a way that made her feel like a two year old.

"And I'm nineteen, so you are still a kid to me." he said with a wink.

Bella huffed, almost smiling again as he swatted away his large hand. She hated that he could almost make her smile. She felt as if she didn't deserve to smile. Not soon after what had happened. It made her feel almost dirty that she _**could**_ feel joy after what had happened in front of her... After witnessing the _**murder**_ of her mother. But it was still there, raising within her as the man, or really the teenage boy in front of her let out another bark of laughter. She also knew, or at least part of her knew that her mother, and Phil wouldn't want her to feel this guilt for living when they had died, and they would _**want**_ her to move on with her now rather insane life... But still something inside Bella held her back from healing from them whole ideal... Though, for some odd reason, the person in front of her was fighting against the very thing that held Bella back.

"Am not." she said rather childishly after a moment, not being able to think of anything else.

He snorted again.

"Okay, so you are not a kid, or a mouse, even if those names fit you to a tee... So, who are you then?" he asked with a curious tilt to his head.

Bella held out her small hand.

"Isabella Swan, please call me Bella if you wish for no bodily harm from happening to you." said Bella with a dry tone.

He smiled hugely, grasping her small hand in his rather large one, his fingers were rough and calloused, and curiously, felt almost like the pad of a dog's foot...

"Sam Uley, pleasure to meet you, mouse." he said with another bark of laughter.

Bella nodded, letting the mouse comment slide and their hands came apart to rest in each their laps. After a moment of silence, her neighbor, Sam, looked at her a little sheepishly, and said in a embarrassed tone:

"Oh, and thanks for the help with the flight attendant... It was a little... Uncomfortable... And my girlfriend Emily would've killed me if she did something more than lean over me... And my Emily is so damn scary..." he said with a sharp shutter.

Finally, not being able to stop herself, Bella giggled and let out a smile. They were small. Almost not there, but they had happened nonetheless. Sam himself looked at her with a suddenly soft smile.

"Think I'm funny do you?" he asked with a raised brow.

"Hilarious." Bella deadpanned.

Then they both started laughing. It wasn't the same small and almost not there giggle as before for Bella, no, it was a hard laughter that made her ribs ache and for tears to run down her cheeks. It was a very _**loud**_ laughter that she couldn't really stop, and which made for a couple of the other passengers to look over in their direction with raised brows. When the same flight attendant as before looked over at them with a glare, both Sam and Bella turned to each other, laughter gone... Until Sam snorted, and Bella let out a giggle, and they started laughing just as hard as before. It took a minute for either of them to calm down, and even when they did they let out a stray snort or chuckle.

"Why was that so funny?" asked Bella after a moment of heavy breathing, trying to stop the odd giggle that escaped her.

Sam shrugged.

"No idea... Hey, where are you headed by the way?" he asked conversationally with a broad smile.

Bella looked at him with a raised brow.

"Forks, Washington... You?"

Sam gave a long, slow blink. His face was of pleasant surprise, or at least it seemed that way to Bella, and he leaned forward in clear excitement.

"Wait, Forks? I'm going down to La Push, you know the reservation near there?" said Sam with an eager and happy smile.

Bella let out a small smile at his excitement.

"Yes I know La Push, my Dad goes fishing there a lot..."

Sam gave a long blink yet again.

"Wait... Swan... As in _**Charlie**_ Swan, the police chief of Forks?" he said with raised brows.

Bella gave him another smile, feeling as know that she had allowed herself to do so once, she couldn't stop...

"The very same."

Sam gave out a bark of laughter.

"Small world Bella! I know your Dad, nice guy, hangs out with Billy a little to much for his own good." he said with another bark of laughter.

They sat in companionable silence for a second, before Sam pointed to the forgotten device on her lap.

"So, you gonna be able to beat my high-score or what, mouse?" he said with a smile.

Bella gave him her best game face, picking up the device and quickly setting up a game.

"It is so on Uley!" she said with a playful glare.

"Like Donkey Kong." he replied with a smirk.

Bella rolled her eyes, and focused on the game. Though it had been a long time since she had even so much as looked at a video game, her small fingers quickly got their rhythm again, and soon Sam was groaning in despair as she easily beat his high-score after a few minutes of playing.

"You are so cheating!" he hissed as he watched her defeat another squadron of aliens.

"Am not." said Bella, getting another one.

Sam sighed, looking on as she killed yet _**another**_ one...

"You are magical then, no other way to explain it." he muttered, covering his face with his hands, unable to see her get an even higher score anymore.

Bella herself stiffened a little at his words. With a side ways look, she wondered how would Sam react if he knew just on target he was... Her locket hummed once again, and she focused back on the game...

* * *

**AN: I do not own Twilight.**

**Translation: Strano Uomo: strange man**

**Erm, so this took me over a month or so to write, I'm sorry about that, I just had other things (Personal things) to deal with, as well as my other fics to worry about... Again, I'm sorry, and I'll try to update sooner... Anyway, so I like to say that this story is getting my interest back, and I actually really like it, and no, I won't be rewriting it this time, I mean, three times of writing it is enough, thank you very much... Er, so yes, Sam is all buddy buddy with Bella, yay! Er, I have nothing else to report... Please review, and the next chapter is: _What Are The Chances?_**


	4. What Are The Chances?

**What Are The Chances?**

The rest of the two hour flight from Phoenix and to Seattle went by as quick as a blink of the human eye, and in no time Bella found herself struggling to catch up to the long strides of her tall and newly found friend in the Settle terminal, trying to find the right gate for their flight to Port Anegles. She silently cursed Einstein and his theory of Relativity, for it had been proven during the flight that in good company, time would fly through your fingertips like grains of sand. As Sam rushed across the terminal, swearing at odd intervals as his primal eyes looked down again and again to the battered watch on his thick wrist, which Bella wondered dryly if it was as thick as her skinny forearm, and took a glance to see that it actually was... She snorted at the thought, trying to use her legs to their full potential without actually running, sulking silently as she looked at both her carry-on, a spanking new backpack, which was made of an expensive, sturdy leather, and her slightly charred suitcase, along with his own large hiking backpack, and strangely, a bright pink duffel bag swing from Sam's arms.

He absently swung his rather unmanly duffel bag in frustration, looking around before he raced ahead, not really mindful of the very petite girl that was rushing after him, clutching tightly at both of their tickets, as it had been the only thing the slightly thick headed man had allowed her to carry. Along with his very precious game console, which was deep in the pockets of her long and dark bohemian skirt. He had point blank refused to let her carry her own things, which irked her to no end... But had to agree with him quietly that she wasn't in the best physical state to carry anything too heavy, though she knew she **_could_**carry her own luggage **_just_** fine thank you... But as she raced forward, Bella couldn't help but glance once again at her skinny form arm, and then briefly past the her almost nonexistent chest to her fleece covered stomach. She knew that she had lost a startling amount of weight over the past month or so... She had always been slender, she knew this with a slight bit of vain pride(she was a teenager after all), but as of late she was, while not quite skeletal, was getting close.

She just wasn't hungry... Each time she would see food, no matter if it was fruit or barbeque in heaviness, she would feel vaguely sick, and she thought it was mainly due to her grief... But well, she also knew it was due to stress, as she tended to eat less when she was... Knowing that a group of insane and extremely powerful people, who were more than capable of murder, and had in fact killed in front of you, your mother no less, were after the thing you had swinging around your neck sort of put stress on you. Just a tad... She almost snorted at her morbid thought and wondered with some dread if it was such a good idea to wear the thing... But at the moment she knew it was safe, as she felt it nestled between her heaving chest and her layers of fabric, and completely out of sight...

Bella, a moment later of her selfish musings was grateful, somewhere in the back of her frustrated mind, as she somewhat struggled to catch up to Sam, that she wasn't as clumsy as before, and therefore not falling forward on her face... **_She _**made sure that Bella's mobility was no longer a major issue... Bella was also somewhat grateful that Sam was so tall, (even if in she also hated the fact because it gave him long legs, hence the situation she was in now), because it allowed her, no matter how short she was, to see the him from afar. Though most of the time all she saw was the back of his head, which was easily about two heads taller than anyone around them...

When the time frantic Quileute finally **_did _**come to a stop, dropping off their larger luggage to go off on luggage belt, Bella breathed an enormous sigh of relief, and a gave out a small and almost not there snort when he saw him look confused when the attendant asked him for his ticket. He checked his pockets, swearing rather violently as he found that it wasn't there. Then after a moment he saw Bella's leather backpack, still swinging in his hand, and he let out another swear, looking frantically around him in horror, most likely thinking that he lost her in the terminal. It was then that he looked over to her, his primal eyes meeting her's sheepishly, but also full of relief to see that she hadn't gotten lost. Bella glared at him without much heat, and raised a single brow as he explained to the attendant that his dear friend had his ticket, before pointing over to her in a sheepish manner.

Outwardly, Bella gave the attendant isn't he an idiot look, about Sam... Inwardly, she was stunned that he had called her a friend... Much less a dear friend. She was very embarrassed to think that Sam was the first friend she had made in a long time... But she pushed that thought aside, hating how much joy it brought to her before focusing back on the outside world.

With a calm and almost mocking pace, Bella cut to the front of the line of the waiting passengers, not really giving a flip when they started to mutter. She handed over the attendant both their tickets and raised a brow to Sam, who blushed slightly. The attendant gave them a cheery, yet somehow irritated have a good day, and Bella and Sam walked through Jetway in a small chatter, one blushing and mumbling his apologies, the other just snorting at the right moments, quite put out that they had to race to catch up... And also thinking that they needed to start jogging in the mornings to start building muscles and more of appetite... Once they were settled comfortably on the plane, Bella marveled with some joy that they their seats, once again where neighboring the other's.

"Looks like your stuck with me, mouse." mused Sam cheerfully.

Bella raised a brow at him, a small smile appearing on her lips. Sam wondered how on earth did her violet eyes sparkle like that.

"Looks to be that way." she replied.

Again, just like the flight before, the hour flight to Port Angeles passed by so quickly, that Bella felt that she had hardly had had time to breath between the two flights. The plane touched down a little unsteadily, and Bella let out a swear, jumping almost a foot in the air, and found something hot and solid to clutch at in a death grip, her blunt nails digging into that something. When she came to her senses, Bella was embarrassed to see Sam's dark eyes blinking rapidly to her, before he grinned at her reaction, lifting a single brow, looking down where her small pale hands clutched at his darker russet arm... Which was alarmingly hot, making Bella furrow her brows at the temperature, looking at him with concerned eyes.

"That was a swear _**I**_didn't even now... What was it, Spanish?" said Sam after a moment.

Bella blushed, feeling the heat in her cheeks.

"Italian... I'm sort of learning it by accident lately..." muttered Bella.

Her locket hummed disapprovingly, and Bella had the urge to hush it... Sam whistled, looking at her with an easy smile.

"How do you learn a language by accident?" he said with raised brows.

Bella shrugged.

"By picking it up from an annoying piece of jewelry." she said matter of factually.

Sam snorted with laughter, obviously not taking her seriously. Bella herself felt her locket now hum in a pissed off beat, and she suppressed a snort, biting her lower lip.

"_Bambina_, _don't be so lax with your words! You never know who is listening..._" whispered a soft and angry voice behind Bella's left ear.

She paid it no mind, instead she just laughed with Sam, diving to get her own backpack before he could even get near it and swinging across her shoulders, giving him a cheeky, but small smile as they walked down the stairs of the plane... He stuck out his tongue, and she returned the favor. It was raining already, thought Bella as she took on the last few steps of the staircase, and she was glad she had already said her goodbyes to the sun, for she somehow knew as she looked up to the endlessly gray sky, she would not see it in a while... When her own two feet where on the ground, she turned to Sam to tell him goodbye, already catching sight of her father far off in the distance, and was completely caught by surprise when he picked her up in the most ridiculous, and warm bear hug that lifted her right off her feet. It lasted for a single, incredibly warm moment... Then, Bella blinked, wondering why on earth he was doing this, before Sam put her firmly on her feet, blushing, and rubbing the back of his head sheepishly. He looked at her with apologetic eyes.

"Sorry 'bout that mouse, it's just that I really like you, and I just felt the urge..." he said with a shy smile.

Bella returned it, completely caught by surprise. It was then that she heard the howls, the cheers, and then was completely surrounded by very tall, and very big russet skinned people, who were all clambering around Sam with grins on their faces. Bella blinked, and felt closed in as they chattered nonstop, slapping him on the back, punching his shoulder or trying to put him in a head lock... The noise only stopped when Sam froze, eyes shinning with something that made Bella's stomach plummet, because she had seen that look before... It was the look of such love, such devotion that Bella felt her mouth go dry, and part of her could swear she could smell smoke in the air... She looked toward where Sam's line of sight was, and caught the briefest glimpse, of a tall, beautiful girl, who had the left side of her face covered in a grimacing scars...

She then only saw a blur, and before Bella could even really blink, the girl jumped Sam, her legs wrapping around his waist in a somewhat bold movement, her arms around his neck, and her lips against his'. It was an endless, loving moment that had Bella's heart constricting, remembering the one other kiss that had the same amount of love, and passion... She blinked away tears as they broke apart and laid their foreheads against each other, and swallowed thickly, thankful for the rain that poured around them... The tallest of the group and most brawniest, looked over to her and suddenly smiled widely.

"Jacob Black." he said with extending his large hand.

Bella only stared at his hand stupidly for a moment before her own hand came up to shake it, as firmly as she could, feeling as though her hand was lost in his.

"Isabella Swan." she said with a shy nod of her head.

The guy, Jacob blinked, mouth open wide. It was then that the rest of the rag tag group turned to her.

"Not Charlie's daughter, the one he won't shut up about coming?" said a girl moodily, her long black hair being flipped back in a swift movement.

A boy, or Bella guessed he was a boy by his childish features slapped the girl on the back of the head good naturally.

"Leah, stop being such a grouch, what are you, on your period?" snorted the tall boy.

The girl blushed furiously, returning the slap to him, only much harder, making the boy stumble. The group around them stared at her in surprise for a few seconds before turning back to Bella.

"Seth, shut it, I was just asking a simple question." The girl named Leah said with another toss of her long hair.

"So, are you his daughter? Wasn't she suppose to be like sixteen, not twelve?" asked a man with a slightly mean sneer, turning away from the bickering siblings.

Bella blushed.

"I am sixteen, and yes my dad is Charlie, and yes he owns a gun... And yes, I learned how to shoot it." she muttered, glaring at the tall man.

He smirked at her, a little vein of anger ticking in his large brow.

"Paul, behave." muttered another man, rolling his eyes.

The man named just Paul stared at her a little snidely.

"You are no way sixteen, you're twelve, tops." said Paul with a angry smirk.

"Am not." muttered Bella.

Sam sighed, and so did the girl still hanging onto him, who Bella guessed was Emily, his girlfriend.

"Paul, back off, yes she is sixteen... Jared, don't try to pull rank on Paul, that's_** my**_ job. Jacob, stop looking at Bella weirdly, yes she is Charlie's daughter so stop gaping at her eyes. Seth, no you can't hug her so don't even ask... Quil and Embry don't tease for her height, I know you want too, she's short, we get it, don't rub it in... And Leah, cool it..." said Sam in quick session, barely breathing between words.

Leah just sneered at him, before marching off, long hair swaying in her rapid movements. Paul looked moodily at the floor, but stayed quiet. The man who had told Paul off, Jared, nodded quickly. Seth looked put out, and he pouted at Bella, Jacob shrugged and looked at her eyes intently. The two called Quil and Embry,(she really didn't know which was which), pouted and muttered to each other moodily. Sam and Emily turned to Bella, smile on their faces.

"Sorry about that, they can get a little out of control..." said Sam with a shrug.

Emily simply beamed, and let go of Sam to grab Bella's hand. Her dark eyes looked at her steadily.

"I don't know you, but I have a feeling I'm going to like you... My name is Emily Young." she said with a cheerful smile.

Bella herself gave her a small one.

"Bella Swan, but I guess you already know that, don't you?" she said with a shy bob of her head.

Emily nodded. Bella stood with the group of rowdy teenagers, as she soon discovered, before excusing herself.

"I have to go, my dad is waiting..." she muttered.

The group groaned and asked her to stay a while longer.

"I can't, but thank you for the company. It was nice to meet you."

Sam smiled.

"Don't be a stranger mouse, come down to La Push anytime." he said with a nod of his head.

With another goodbye, and a wave, Bella walked away backpack on her slim back and suitcase being rolled behind her. She felt more than saw the stares at her back, and knew that the group of Quileute were looking... She ignored the stares and went to look for her father. It didn't really take long, and soon she was in the warm embrace of Charlie Swan, her father. It felt so warm, and loving that Bella couldn't help but sigh in relief as she felt her father tighten it for a second.

"Bella." he whispered softly in her ear.

"Dad." she whispered into his solid chest.

They then untangled themselves, and walked over to his cursor, in a comfortable silence. They slipped Bella's things in the front, as they weren't that very big and wouldn't be very necessary to put in the trunk before they were off, driving down the wet roads, towards Forks, Washington. Bella noticed with sorrow that her father looked a mess. And she felt her heart cry out.

He looked tired. More than tired, he looked absolutely and utterly _**exhausted**_. He looked as if someone had drained out all of his energy, which Bella remembered to be, while not endless, but more than even most people her age had. His thinning and once lovely curls were mused, sloppy and looked as if he hadn't washed it in weeks, as they were greasy and looked to be almost brittle. His skin was pale, or at least paler than normal, and it seemed to sag around his sturdy bones, and if Bella was right, it looked as if he had lost some weight, just like she had. Only on him it was more prominent, considering the fact that he had been a stocky person... His light brown eyes where brimmed with red, puffy and swollen, and Bella just knew it was because he had been crying recently. And it _**hurt**_.

It hurt so damn much for her to see her father like this... To see that he had never gotten over the lost of his mother... It sent a spasm of sharp, cutting pain into Bella's chest, right into the hole that had been ripped into her heart the moment she had seen the little leave her mother's eyes... To see him like this, to see how he had trembled at the funeral, which had occurred only just days ago... To see him over and over in her mildest of nightmares place a single, prefect red rose onto her mother's coffin, and to see the look of utter loathing, and anger he had sent at Phil's coffin. It hurt her to see her father broken...

But maybe he was not all broken, thought Bella as she continued to gaze at her father. His back was straight and proud, and his police uniform was a sharp contrast to him. It was ironed, and looked to be in perfect order. His eyes, while yes his eyes were red, and yes they were drenched in lost and sadness, they held something that made Bella proud. They held a strong determination. A determination for what, she wasn't sure, but it was there... And it made her so proud...

It was a while later, when they were entering Forks, did any of the two occupants of the cursor say anything at all.

"Bella... You said you were going to look for a car when you settled into Forks, right?" said her father, a sheepish undertone to his words.

Bella paused, looking back from the window she had been looking at. She gave her father a narrowed glance. He knew that, and he knew that she could afford a new car, as she not only had sold her mother's, and what was left of their house, but she had also more or less had inherited the surprisingly large amount of money her mother had in the bank... As well as a heavy sum from Phil, which had made her sob like a baby when she had found out... But, back to the present, Bella could tell her father had done something...

"Yes..." she said slowly, waiting with a baited breath for what he was going to say.

"I took the liberty of finding one for you... Good car, sturdy, and since you just got you licensee a few weeks ago, I thought it was the best one for you..." he said with a nod of his head.

Bella narrowed her eyes even further at her father, and he swallowed thickly. Jumping the gun a little when he blurted out:

"I bought you a car... A truck really... Because I haven't done much in your life anyway..." he said with a bitter tone, at least to towards the end.

Bella held back tears.

"You... You bought me a car?" she said in a hoarse whisper.

His chocolate brown eyes didn't leave the road, and he nodded, and Bella saw the back of his grow slightly red.

"Yeah... I guess I did Bells." he said with the tiniest, of smiles.

Bella almost beamed at him, instead she looked straight ahead, knowing he had turned to look at her now, and knowing that he wouldn't want to be caught looking.

"Thank you..." she whispered softly.

"_Your father is a good man my dear__ Bambina..._"whispered the voice behind her ear...

Bella inclined her head to the lowest degree to answer the voice... And her father did nothing in return to acknowledge her thank you, other than nodding to her shyly and blushing, which she caught out of the corner of her eyes. The rest of the drive to Bella's new home was spent in comfortable silence, and she looked out the window to watch the rain fall steadily around her, thinking just how much of an alien world it was compared to Phoenix...

As the pair of father and daughter pulled up to the two story house that belonged to the former, the latter saw her 'new' truck that was parked just in front of the house. It wasn't new far from it, it was an old red faded truck with rounded proportions, vaguely resembling a War World II tank, and Bella could tell it was American made. Sturdy, as her father had said, and looked to be something that would crush any of the newer and more exotic cars which had been common in the streets of Phoenix... She had no idea what the brand, was, but for Bella it didn't matter. She could imagine herself riding in that thing with ease, and felt that it suited her rather old fashioned taste to a tee.

Her father's eyes where on her as she turned to him, and gave him a small smile. She touched his forearm carefully, wary of the shotgun just inches away from her, and squeezed softly. He all but beamed at her, a blush appearing on his cheeks.

"Thank you..." she whispered again.

He nodded, and they got out of the cursor, and dashed to the porch. He showed Bella where he put the spare key, in the eve above the door, and when he noticed she had to stand on the rocking chair off to the side to reach it, he sheepishly put it underneath the door mat, and gave her the other spare key he had made for her, as well as her car keys. She was very amused to not that the key-chain were two small sliver forks, a small golden coin that held the official seal of California, and a red tinted metal phoenix. She lifted her brows at her father, who shrugged embarrassingly, and muttered it was the places she had lived, before she shoved it deeply into her skirt pocket. Trust her father to do something so sweet...

They soon took all of Bella's things upstairs, which wasn't much, after all most of her belongings had burned down with her mother's house in Phoenix. And she was glad when her father left nodding his head and mumbling something about getting dinner, pleased that he didn't hover. He just left Bella in the small room that she had lived her very brief childhood with her father. It was the same. A small bed had replaced the crib, the same yellowing lacy curtains hung around the windows, a desk and a book shelf had been added, and a rocking chair from her baby days was in the corner by one of the windows. It was the same. Bella made a mental note to buy a few things, maybe new curtains, a bed cover, some books, clothes for sure, since she only had what she had salvaged from the house, a combination of her own clothes and her mother's, as well as whatever her mother's friend's had shoved into her embarrassed hands...

As she unpacked everything away she ignored the hum of her locket, whose hum was steady and as loud as the beat of a drum. It wasn't until the voice whispered sharply into my her ear did she pay the locket any attention... As well as when she had finished packing.

"_Okay my little __Bambina__, take me out it's time to start your lesson for the day, __cara__._" the voice whispered snappishly.

Bella sighed softly, wondering if she would dare to ignore the voice. Reason one over annoyance in the end.

"Okay..." she whispered softly, for the first time that day responding to the little voice with her voice.

She looked to the closed door of her 'new' bedroom, and hoped that Charlie wouldn't come back soon, or at least he would knock before coming into the small room. She wound her hands behind her neck to unlatch the clasp of the locket. It was old that much Bella could tell, by a single glance. Hundreds of years old. Maybe even thousands... It had been passed from Coven leader for centuries, and now it had been recently and quite literally shoved into Bella's unknowing hands. She flung it into the air watching as elaborate locket flashed and she held out both her skinny arms to catch what she knew what was coming. She grunted as an huge ornate chest fell into her waiting arms.

"Damn...Aren't you heavy..." she muttered to it softly.

It hummed angrily in response. She placed it on the floor, and then sat crisscross in front of it, waiting. She did not have to wait very long before a small light pooled above the chest, before gathering both in strength and size. Then, a figure was formed in that almost blinding light... A very feminine figure, which then further formed into a woman. The woman seemed to be made of pure light, and she was a woman...who looked like Bella. She looked to be a lot taller, maybe seven inches taller than her plain 5 feet. Her hair was a black color, and her body was curvy almost to a fault... But then again it was really her face that looked like Bella. It was the same high cheek bones, the same slightly uneven lips, and even of their skin color was the same... But it was really her eyes that caught Bella's attention. They were her eyes. The same color that made everyone take a second look, the same color that made people stumble, they were her eyes at least in color, because they were smaller than the doe like way her eyes were formed in, and where narrowed almost like a cat's. The woman's lips were pulled out into to a beautiful smile that Bella knew she could never hope to copy.

"_Well, that's much better._" she said happily, stretching leisurely.

Bella rolled her eyes, and made a go on gesture.

"_Sooo rude!My goddess... Here then!_" she said with a frown as the chest lifted up and a book came flying out.

Bella dodge just as it almost hit her square in the face, and she scowled at the woman, who looked at her a little smugly.

"_Some witch you are __cara.__ Can't even catch a book._"the woman said with an annoyed huff, rolling her eyes.

Bella was tempted to flip her the bird, but she knew that wouldn't go over well with her great-grandmother thousands time over... _Besides, she might not even know what it meant, so where would the fun be? _She thought with a role of her odd eyes.

To say it was strange that Bella was a witch was an understatement. After her mother's and Phil's funeral, the locket had spoken to her throw it into the air the way her mother had so desperately done before... Part of Bella had thought she gone insane right then and there, and she had ignored the voice until just yesterday, still thinking she needed to check herself in, before she had flung it into the air in her hotel room... When she had done so the woman had explained, everything about why her life was the way it was...

Witches are very dangerous when they're young because of their powers. Their emotions control their power, they are clumsy, because their powers aren't, what she called, Focused, with a capital f. Whenever something unsettled the young witch child, say a girl tells them that they are weird looking because of their eyes... Well let's say the girl shut up after a heavy book shot across the room to hit said girl in the face. The only reason Bella had stayed like this was because she was never trained, and because her Coven's, (as the woman had called it) Focus was not centered onto anything concrete. The Coven of Twilight Focus was the whole body... That is why her powers were a ticking time bomb, and why she was lucky they had never done anything that hurt someone. Seriously, hurt someone anyway.

It almost made her hate her mother. She could have made Bella's life so much easier, if she had at least taught her the basics of control... But she hadn't. She had made Bella ignorant. She had made her into an insecure girl, a girl that though she was a freak because of everything that happened around her, because of everything that she _**had **_caused... But she couldn't hate her. She never could, no matter how much she had lied and hid her heritage... The simple fact of the matter is that she had loved her mother, still did and only felt a giant ripping agony at the memories of her death. And anger. So much anger at the people who killed her. Anger that she knew she would someday release. She sighed quietly, hating the turn of her thoughts.

"Aren't I depressing..." she whispered as she reached out to grab the fallen book.

The woman tutted in sympathy, and her ghostly form wrapped an arm around her. It was a very warm hug, but it wasn't a solid hug a live person could give her. She smiled weakly, and looked down at the book. It was made of heavy green leather which was faded and frayed. The sliver letters were a pealing a little. But she could still read them. And she felt her eyes get bigger at what it said.

"_Book of the Paranormal: A Witch's Guide to the Creatures of the Night: _By the Gypsy._"_ She read in slight alarm, looking up to the ghostly woman.

"_And don't wear out the Gypsy __carissima__, my__ name has power in the witch world._" She said it in a haughty tone as she flipped her long and seemingly endless hair over her shoulder.

"But- All this is real? You wrote the book?!" She asked, eyes wide.

The woman, Gypsy snorted.

"_Oh darling, did you really think that we are the only things that go bump in the night? We just happen to be the most secretive... Don't be a __ragazza_ _stupida__!_"

Bella frowned at her. She didn't know much Italian, as she was still learning from Gypsy but she did know enough Spanish to see that she called her stupid.

"I'm not stupid." She said simply as she turned back to the book.

She opened it and glanced at the table of contents. Slightly yellowing paper and elegant cursive greeted her odd eyes. It read:

_**Table of Contents **_

_**.**_

_**Demons**_

_**.**_

_**Ghosts**_

_**.**_

_**Werewolves**_

_**.**_

_**Shape Shifters**_

_**.**_

_**Vampires **_

_**.**_

_**Sirens**_

And the list went on. There were dozens of paranormal creatures. And Bella was scared. And in awe, how could people miss this? How could people not see the world that was right in front of them? Maybe they didn't want to see? It scared her to know all of these creatures, and probably more existed. It also scared her that she would have never learned this if her mother would have lived...That she would have seen a vampire, or a demon and never would have know what they were. She would have been in danger without even knowing it. She felt tears come to her eyes at the thought that her mother would have left her in this world without the means to protect herself.

"Bella?" asked her father's voice just outside the door.

She swore quietly under her breath. He wasn't suppose to be one to hover!

"_Put me away __bambina__! And study the book!_" whispered the Gypsy harshly.

"Yeah, Dad?" She asked quickly shoving the book under her bed.

"Well...Bells, can I come in? It's weird talking to you through the door..." He said in an uneasy voice, she could hear how his feat shuffled quietly.

With a lot of effort she threw the chest in the air, catching the locket. She then placed it around her neck.

"Sure, dad!" Bella said, panting.

He opened the door, his brown curls bouncing slightly as he came in. He smiled another small smile. He sat on the small bed and patted the a spot next to him, and Bella took his offer and sat next to him, placing her small hand in his large one. Her dad gave her a smile at this.

"Well...Bella, I know...I know that you probably never wanted this...But I-I want you to be happy here...I know with your mother's d-...With your mother gone it'll be hard. But please Bells, try to be happy..I'm here even if she isn't anymore..." he said this, pausing and taking deep breaths in parts.

Bella didn't speak. She just simply couldn't. She just looked at her father, as Charlie struggle with his words, with his pain. Trying to comfort _**her**_. The person who clearly didn't need it more than the other... He needed it more, craved it more. And Bella knew the only way he would find it is if she was happy. She could see it in his red rimmed brown eyes. He needed her to be happy, even if she didn't wish to be. She was slightly blinded by the unshed tears that were in her eyes. Her and her father were really so much alike.

"Dad. I love you...And I'll try, I promise..." She whispered quietly as she hugged him around the neck.

She just felt him nod again as his own clumsy hands wound themselves around her tiny waist. They just stood frozen for a moment there, on Bella's little bed, holding each other, feeling the warmth, both of them wanting to feel a different warmth. Not each others, but a warmth that was lost to them forever. The crazy eccentric warmth of someone that held such an important place in their lives. She felt his arms loosen after another moment, and her father shifted back. She ignored the wet spot on her light shirt, and he ignored his, and they both wiped their eyes and nodded. He stood up and nodded again, and turned to leave. He paused at the door.

"If you need anything...Just tell me." he said without turning back.

Bella sat for a moment, feeling the hum that came form the locket. It was a soft hum, seemingly telling her that _**she**_ was there, and everything would be fine. She picked up her toiletries, and a set of pj's. She wanted a shower, a long hot shower before she went to bed. After, all she had school in the morning. She went to the single bathroom of the house, ignoring the small amount of dread that filled her stomach at the thought that she had to share it with her father. She started to take off the locket, and her thoughts wandered to the book.

_I'm being stupid...What are the chances that I'll run into another paranormal being?_

She sighed, it was not as if a vampire or anything else attended Forks High school.

_I mean, what are the chances?_

* * *

**AN: I do not own Twilight, I only own Coven of Twilight, Jack, and all the witchy things that come into play in this story line.**

**I want to ask my dear, wonderful readers one thing... Are you guys annoyed or furious with me D=(? I mean I know I don't update always update every two days, and that it must be very, very, very annoying that I strung you guys along with two rewrites...(Trust me, I'm annoyed at myself for that too.) But... Do you guys just not read the story anymore, or just don't want to review as a sort of revenge? (that was two questions, sorry DX)If you guys hate me or are annoyed at me for any reason, or maybe just simply want to ask a few questions, just feel free to PM me, and do so... And I would simply loooove it for you guys to review again, because I honestly miss all of those who did it in the previous incarnations of this story...**

**Bambina: Child (fem form)**

**Carissma: Dear one (fem form**

**Cara: Love**

**Ragazza Stupida: Stupid girl**


	5. Promises

**Promises**

"Shit." whispered a hoarse, male voice to himself, blinking rapidly as the rain suddenly streamed heavily from the heavens.

The owner of the voice jolted upwards, swearing heavily in succession as even through the canopy above him the rain dripped onto him. He sighed, lifting up a spare hand to rub his tired eyes with more force than necessary to get some of the meddlesome water out of them before he shoved his hand back into the confines of his jacket pocket, relishing when he felt the warmth of his other hand. His fists then tightened within the confines of his pocket, his teeth chattering slightly as his golden-brown eyes gazed steadily before him, noting with a frown marring his face that he could see her clearly, tossing and turning rapidly in her narrow bed, if he ever approached her that would be the first thing he changed, for that was a very clear shot, and a opportunist like himself could see how vulnerable she was. He shifted slightly on his perch, feeling the rough and slick bark of the tree branch he sat on even through his thick pants, cursing the fact that he had been taken away from the arid and sun drenched desert to this wet and dull place.

Of course, this place had a much more punch to it when it came to the Lines, but he felt personally that the slight boost wasn't worth all the doom and gloom, especially after what had just happened, and he wondered if the girl in the bed felt the same with a slight curiosity. He didn't know her. Or at least, he didn't know her well, he had met her only a couple of times, and even then he had dismissed her, only feeling the at the most pity because of the actions her mother had taken to keep her in the dark of her calling... He knew nothing of her, save that and her name... Isabella Swan. It suited her, oddly enough. Something about the curve of her slightly sharp nose, of her large violet eyes, of the contrast of her pale, pale skin against her dark, endless hair made him think that her name suited her completely.

He shifted once again in his perch, thinking with a sigh that he maybe he shouldn't be here. It would be cruel of him of course, if he ever left, for Isabella would be lost in a world which she could never really understand, as well as in danger of being harmed for having the silly little babble that hung around her neck... Which was a bit of an understatement he though with a bitter smile, for the girl would be dead already if not for his own interference, and of that fail safe of her mother's. But he knew he would never leave, no matter how much he hated Forks, Washington, no matter how much he felt that he owed nothing to the girl he was meant to protect, no matter how fatally stupid it was on his part to stay... He knew he would never let himself leave, if only because he had promised. And in both his world, and now her's, promises were binding, and because, of all things, he would never let_** him **_down. He smiled sadly and wistfully as he remembered the last words he had ever heard him say...

"_No matter what happens to me or Renee, and no matter how much you hate her... __**Please**__ keep her safe... Because she's special Squirt,and... I love her, she's like... She's like the baby sister I never got to have... And, I'll be back in no time, its probably nothing, probably just a chill... Sit tight, Squirt."_

He sighed slightly as he leaned his head back into the tree trunk, doing just what _**he**_ had told him to do and wondering if the tossing girl inside was worth his praise, and _**his **_life... Their lives. At the moment, as he sat stiffly in a tree of all things, feeling the rain pour around him a steady, freezing and chilling him straight to the bone, at an ungodly and damning hour, he knew one thing for sure... He really didn't that she was worth it, for he could still remember his laughter. He could still remember how he had ruffled his hair no matter how many times he had battered his hand away. The way his eyes, so much like his own had shined when he had showed him everything he knew... The way that he had held Renee's hand, or the way that he had first confessed to him that he loved her, and that she was the woman he would gladly live eternity with...

He sighed, his hand coming up to move his wet bangs out of his face, his golden-brown eyes still keen on the girl inside, watching... Because he still had that promise to keep.

She woke with a scream mangling tightly through her sore throat, violet eyes looking around herself wildly, still screaming and feeling her bones creak and seem to shudder with the intense cold that surrounded her, penetrating into the very ribbons of her underused muscles, and she screamed again as she recalled her vivid nightmares,which in truth were more like memories. Even at the moment they lingered with her, and she swore that she could feel the blood of her mother on her again, and the disgusting smell of salt and rust she knew would forever be in her memory assaulted her nostrils. After a few moments of deep breaths, Bella calmed herself down, and stared at her small, pale hands, knowing and really seeing that no red marred them as they once had. She sighed, dropping her head into her clean hands and letting herself sob a few times before she stood, glancing at the battered clock beside her and forming a plan in her mind.

It was incredibly early she noted as she pushed through the pants she had neatly hung in her closet just the night before, knowing before she went to bed in the morning she would not be able to muster the strength to do so. She found something suitable in a flash, and frowned, eying the very short denim shorts and at the fog that curled at her window. Bella shrugged, mumbling under hear breath as she found a suitable and thick top in her drawers, hoping that the warmth of her torso would make up somewhat for the cold she knew her poor legs were about to experience because she had nothing else to use. She walked into the bathroom, shivering and changed quickly. She refused to look in the mirror, and as she changed she focused chip of paint on the wall. She brushed her teeth and dragged her long hair into a pony tail, mumbling curse words in Italian under her breath, ignoring the disapproving hum that rested against her breast bone. Shucking on a pair of battered sneakers that she had miraculously found, she made her way down stairs, clutching in her hand something that she was hesitate to use, but knowing that at the moment it was just what she needed.

She noticed with a little sadness that her father was gone, most likely already at work, but rejoiced at the fact that he hadn't heard her scream... Again. Putting into mind that she would be back in an hour or so, and she stuffed a can of pepper spray into her pocket that her father had told her last night as they had eaten dinner she should start carrying at all times, as well as her keys, noting that she should keep that on her at all times as well. She looked into her hand, and noticed that Phil's other gift was already on her wrist, and smiled at the large leather bracelet that several strange symbols like those of the ones on her locket, though she could tell that they were very different indeed. The thing in her hand was a slender, black music player, and she turned it on, placing the buds in her ears to hear a band straight from the old times of rock and roll blast in her ears, and she relished the sound, thinking that Phil had excellent taste before she delicately put the precious item in her pocket. She had no idea why either of the bracelet or the music player had been given to her, but she remembered quite vividly that Phil's younger brother had been adamant in giving them to her, all but shoving it in her hands to for her to keep, telling her that they were something Phil would have given her on her birthday anyway...

Bella left and locked the door behind her. The outside was dull and dark, and the only strong light she could see was the odd street lamp. She didn't mind, for she felt the darkness was just what she needed, and that she could see the first signs of dawn in the cloudy sky. She walked slowly off her porch, shivering. It really was cold, and she mused that maybe it was a bit fool hardy to go out like this, and she noticed with a slight humor that her legs were already covered in goosebumps... Dismissing that thought and then taking off at a steady jog down the street, before she picking up speed, she gave a faint thought of how this was a perfect way to warm her leg muscles. Images flashed through her mind, and suddenly Bella was racing through the streets of predawn Forks, her heart roaring her ears, her chest heaving and sweat running down her skin.

She ran to rid herself of the images that were seared into her mind, she ran to forget the smells that she felt still clung to her skin, and she ran to simply forget... And throughout her whole journey, she felt a comforting presence bouncing against her breast bone, warm and humming steadily. Bella had never felt so energized as she did now, and she noted that as she rounded again around the block adjacent to her home that she was barely even winded... She frowned, feeling as if she could go on forever. Part of her, she noted with a slightly rueful smile, wouldn't mind at all.

~( )~

When Bella finally made it home, just an hour later as she had promised herself, she found that the sun was still rising in the sky hidden slightly by what she could tell would become very cloudy. She had enough time to wash away the sweat that clung to her skin. She shot upstairs, finding clothes that were warm before racing into the shower. She relished the feeling of warmth against her slightly tense skin, and lingered for a moment before she got out, drying herself and dressing at lightning speed. In which she made sure to wear somewhat formal dark jeans, rubbing absently at the soot stain on its left knee as she picked out a simple and violet sweater, relishing in the soft feel of cashmere against her skin and thinking that her mother's friends had been a little to loose with their wallets when they had sent her out with items such as this. For her footwear, Bella deiced against the scruffy black sneakers she had used for what she hoped to be a daily run, and instead placed her feet inside the stiff and new hiking shoes, wiggling her toes slightly and hoping that the shoes would soon be worn, and would not give her any blisters. She glanced absently at the clock, and frowned at the hour. She had about two more to get to school, and she may as well eat some breakfast.

Bella grimaced slightly at the last thought, and made her way downstairs, her backpack newly filled with school items slung over her shoulder, and bouncing somewhat merrily onto her thin hip. The kitchen she noticed as she walked in, flinging her bag to the floor without ceremony, was the same somewhat narrow space as she remembered from the last time she had visited her father. The cabinets were painted the same cheery yellow that her father said her mother had done in the days of their marriage, and the three mismatched chairs that had graced her childhood meals in this house were still arranged around the worn table. Bella noticed slightly amused that the refrigerator was the same beat up version of before, and blinked when she saw the purple sticky note on the door. She smiled at the note, remembering how it had been a game her father and her had made when she had visited once in around the age of four; purple for Bella, and green for her father, and the goal was to always find them, read the message, and then hid their own, and wait for the other to find them, if they could not do it within the span of three days, the other would loose and do something for the winner. She glanced around and noticed without surprise that on the kitchen counter were two different colored packets of sticky notes, as well as a pen.

She despite herself, couldn't help but let out a quiet laugh, and ran to the fridge to the note, picking it up, and letting her eyes scan it with childish glee. She read his scribbling writing with a small smile on her face:

_Bells, _

_Good morning, I hope you had a nice long lie, and that you're scrambling to get to school! The pizza __from last night is in the fridge... Oh, and have a wonderful first day at school. Drive safe._

_~Dad_

_P.S. This was a freebie._

_P.P.S. I love you._

Bella laughed softly again, and rubbed her slight hot eyes. She quickly penned her reply on the first of the green notes, and thought of where she should hide it, before she smiled with just a hint mischief. With careful ease, she stuck the note on the bottom of the usually unused chair in the room, and wondered if she were the one to win this time around... She nabbed a slice of pizza and she popped it into the microwave her booted feet tapping to the beat of one of the songs she had heard during her run. As she returned the pizza box to the fridge, Bella took a note of its bareness, and she made a note as she sat down to stop by the supermarket, and eyed the jar on the counter full of cash that had 'food money' on the side, and smiled and hoped her father would not mind when he came home to a home cook meal. She picked up a couple of hundred's, placing them into her slightly charred wallet and slipping it into her jacket pocket before sitting down at the table to each her breakfast. She had her own money of course, but she had a faint feeling her father would want to feel as if he was doing something in her life. Bella shook her head thinking that though he had done more than enough lately, but since he didn't feel that way himself, she would make sure that now he did. With that thought Bella gave a tiny, tiny smile and began to eat her pizza.

She ate half of a slice of pizza before she felt herself twitch, and she grimaced as she felt the nausea settle within the pit of her stomach, and Bella placed the half eaten mushroom pizza down, wrinkling her nose, as she pushed the plate aside to rest her head down on the smooth, cold wood of the table. Her head stayed down for so much time that Bella actually started to doze, and the night she had spent tossing and turning caught up to her. Before she knew it, her eyes were closed and she was asleep, mumbling and whimpering in her sleep. She wished for some peace, and suddenly, peace did find her, starting with a warm touch at the base of her neck, it speared like an electric shock to her system, and Bella finally was able to breath easily, for the first time ever since that fateful December day. And breath she did, soft, slowly, with an ever present hum touching her breast bone, and a soft gentle touch to the base of her neck.

Her lashes were fluttering with images that for first time in a month were surly peaceful, full of colorful images and flashes of memories that were soft, gentle things. His hands, were on the base of her neck, and he could feel the steady energy he was pushing through her nerves, touching her limbic system with a delicate thrust and sighing as he kept the steady stream of his magic. The girl needed her sleep... He knew that this was a tad creepy, or really a whole lot creepy, but since he had sat in the tree outside her bedroom last night he figured this was a step down. He paused, and thought that maybe he was being a bit invasive by pumping magic through her nerves, but he felt that was just another part of her that he needed to protect. He sighed, and shook his head, thinking that this girl was going to be a lot of trouble...

He paused in his thoughts, and sighed, knowing that the girl had seen at least one person die about a month ago, and that person had been her mother... So maybe her delicate state was reasonable... Though, he thought with a wry smile, the girl wasn't completely delicate. After all, it had been somewhat a bitch to catch up to the girl when she had left for her run, but he figured it was simply because she all but glowed with the energy that he felt running through her. It may have been just whatever her mother had done to her breaking with it's creator's death, or maybe this land area with it's abundance of Lines, but the girl packed a serious punch. He smiled again, and hoped that he could help her take control of her power. Checking his watch, he swore, and knew that she would have to wake up soon. He got ready to make a dash for it, and sent a gentle jolt to the girl's system, knowing it would wake her up, and he prepared to follow her. A bad feeling settled in his stomach as he suddenly felt a burning sensation in his head, he winced clutching at his head as he ran out of the girl's house. They were calling. He swore as he soon dashed through the forest, glancing over his shoulder, seeing the girl's house behind the trees as he stopped. He sighed, and hoped that the girl could make at least through her first day of school in one piece... After all, it wasn't as if she could run into too much trouble... Right?

Bella woke with a jolt, sitting up right in her chair, her body tingling. She breathed deeply for a second to rid herself of the feeling, and then returned the now stone cold slice of pizza to the fridge, checking her watch and then racing upstairs with a slight nervous jig, knowing that in just a few minutes or so she would be heading off to school. She brushed both her teeth and her hair again, fidgeted with her sweater, before going downstairs at a graceful jog, it wasn't until then that she tripped on the last step, and she huffed in annoyance. She felt a distinctive giggling sound from beneath her sweater, and she rolled her eyes.

"_Did you feel the surge at all __Bambina_?" said the questioning voice of Gypsy, another soft giggle ruining the serious affect.

Bella, who for her part, was still not used to the random bouts of talking from her jewelry, jumped slightly. She took in her question, and remembered the slight feeling of something forcing itself suddenly into her legs the second she had reached the bottom step.

"Yes... I think so..." she said softly, a frown marring her face.

The locket tsked, and she knew if she had had a body at the moment, Gypsy would have shaken her head.

"_It's a pity. For it seems that since you've made yourself aware of your magic, it is under better control... But since you tripped, it seems that it isn't completely still... You may have grace now dear, __but keep in mind that it will leave you at any moment your unconscious control slips, you will experience something similar to that nature._"lectured Gypsy.

Bella snorted, and shook her head, ignoring the warning in her tone.

"I've lived sixteen years with this... Do think I won't be able to handle it." she told her firmly.

Gypsy only hummed in warning, and with that done, Bella checked her watch again before rushing to grab her backpack, and her large trench style jacket, bemoaning the friend's of her mother and their over spending, before slipping the hood on, noting that it covered her head completely and that the inside was a soft fleece, before opening the front door. Rain poured down, and Bella thanked her luck that she had gotten her run in before all of this. She locked up, with the extra house key she had found on her keys this morning, thanking her father in her head, before slipping them back into her large pocket. She walked carefully to her truck, not pausing to admire The Tank, as that is what she had started calling it in her head, choosing instead to slip inside and start up her heater. She slipped off her hood, noting that her hair was still wet from her shower, and wondered faintly if that would bite her later in the ass. She started the car with a slight nervousness that a newly licensed driver could have, noting that the rather loud roar of the engine did not seem quite right, but dismissed it, feeling so nervous as she pulled out of the driveway. It was faintly ridiculous for her to be nervous, for she had been driving ever since her hands had been adapt enough at holding the wheel, sitting on her mother's lap so she could work the peddles...

She chuckled a little at the thought, wondering faintly why that had been the case... Thinking back, she had an odd array of skills, and surprisingly more or less knowledgeable in things that most people today wouldn't know... With a jolt, she realized that maybe that had been intentional on her mother's part. All the things she knew where more or less connected, and they could help her if she was in a situation similar to the one she was in now, though some really weren't necessary, but those must have been intentional as well, to make her actions seem random and just the product of a free spirit... She sighed, looking at the slick and rain filled road before her and thinking that as she thought deeper into what her life had been under her mother's, the more she felt hallow. It had been, she knew, for her own good. Yet, at the same time, it was something that should have never happened in the first place... She focused on the road again with a sigh, pushing away such thoughts for another day...

Bella found the school quickly enough, remembering faintly from her limited days here in Forks that almost everything was off of this highway. She entered the parking lot that was closest to the building that proclaimed itself main office, though she knew she wasn't suppose to park here, as what she assumed were teachers cars were parked all around her. She shrugged, before jumping out of her cab, locking it with the mentality of the city girl she was, and running to the door as quickly as she could. She entered the office with a sigh of mental relief, dropping her hood, and shaking her hair out. The office was an old, worn room that was cut off in the middle by a large desk. It was filled to the brim with baskets, who themselves where filled with papers, and also full of large, lush green plants. She inwardly snorted at the arrangement, thinking of the vegetation outside.

The only one in the room, besides herself was an older middle-aged woman, who had falsely colored red hair, and large square glaces perched on her long and round nose. Her squinting brown eyes were focused on the screen of the surprisingly modern computer before her, and her thick fingers typed away at a snail's pace, one at a time. She wore a simple purple tee, and it made Bella glance subconsciously at her coat, and think of her sweater underneath. She blew her still wet bangs out of her face, thinking that she was completely overdressed, and swore quietly in her mind. She approached the woman calmly, step by step, 'till she was near enough to the woman to talk to her quietly.

"Excuse me, ma'am?" she said softly.

The woman looked up, kindness in her dark eyes. They widen only a second later as they took her in, and Bella could not help but blush at the reaction she always got from strangers. Like always, the eyes of the stranger would linger on her eyes. Only this time, by some mercy the woman in front of her did just that, before taking in her whole appearance. The woman was silent, as if she was processing her, before she smiled kindly.

"How can I help you dear?" she said a little clumsily.

Bella gave her a small smile.

"I'm Isabella Swan? I'm transferring in today." she told the woman softly.

She blinked, before the woman jumped.

"You're Isabella Swan?" she asked in a stunned manner, dark eyes blinking rapidly.

Bella blushed, and looked past the woman's shoulder at the beat up clock, before nodding.

"Yes, I am." she responded.

The woman, jumped again, and gave her a large smile, or at least that was the impression Bella got from looking out of the corner of her eyes.

"Oh, how wonderful it is to meet you dear! My name is Mrs. Cope, oh how could I forget that today, you were coming in? I'm all in a flutter, here's your schedule, and here's a map of the school..." mumbled Mrs. Cope, bringing out the sheets of paper in a quick movement.

She explained the schedule, and the quickest routes on the map through several different colored highlighters for each of Bella's classes. She was kind and at the end of it all gave the young teenage girl a very kind, and pleasant smile.

"I hope you have a wonderful day dear, and remember to bring that back that sign-in sheet by the end of the day." she said pleasantly to Bella.

She herself smiled a little at the sentiment, and nodded, waving goodbye, both schedule and map in hand to memorize them, not wanting to have either of the stuck in her face all day. She pulled up her hood, noting with surprise whilst inside the school had populated itself, and that several beat up cars, much like her's, where scattered around the other parking lot. The only car that really stuck out was a shiny, sliver volo, which made Bella's brows lift in surprise. Quickly getting herself inside her truck cab, and glancing one more time at her schedule and maps, Bella started the rather loud engine and made her way to the other lot, parking as far away as she could so she could walk and clear her head. Despite the distance, Bella soon found herself near the building that held her English class, and took a deep breath before slipping inside, following two other forms clad in jackets.

She stepped inside and let her hood down again, slipping off her jacket, feeling almost too warm when she felt the heater's arm hit her with a force that felt slightly reminiscent of an Arizonian wind. Ignoring the plentiful hooks off to her side, where she saw several of the student's lingering around and hanging their jacket's, she walked directly to her teacher, who's feet where up on the desk in casual relaxation, beat up novel in his hands. She stood by him for a second, jacket laid over her arm before she managed to gather herself up enough to matter a quiet excuse me. The teacher looked up, and she felt a silence settle around the classroom, and a blush appear on her cheeks as she could just feel the stares of her classmates. Bella herself only focused on Mr. Mason, as her new English teacher was called and introduced herself, telling him her preferred nickname, as well handing him the slip when he asked for it. He signed it with a lazy twitch of his hand, his light eyes lingering on her eyes, and a laid back smile under his thick mustache. He sat her in the back, and she listened to him go on about the class work, and where her junior English year would take her.

Sadly, it would take her to places she had already gone to, and she listened to the familiar list of everything she had read prior to her first year in high school. She sighed, but smiled nonetheless, thinking that at least she wouldn't be thinking to much at all this year. She noticed with another sigh that her fellow classmates started at her with great steadiness, and Mr. Mason ignored that all his students save one were looking steadily behind them. The class passed with the quickness that surprised Bella, and she found her way to her next class, Government humming.

She paused by the door, feeling something settle at the pit of her stomach. She sighed, feeling the spiders running up her back again, and she slapped her palm to her forehead. She_** hated **_that feeling.

"_Sentimenti del futuro__, the feelings of the future. A biological defense system that has been with witches since even before my time... Do not tremble in its wake child, for it is their for protection..._" whispered the Gypsy.

Bella hesitated in the threshold of the door, and looked down to stare at her hands. She walked in a moment later, a frown on her face, ignoring the whispers around her to walk up to teacher, Mr. Jefferson. He signed the slip with a pleasant smile.

"Miss. Swan, there's a seat in the back, next to Alice Cullen... If you please?" Mr. Jefferson gestured towards the back.

Which Bella thought was completely unnecessary, for the one she guessed was Alice Cullen was waving her little hand in the air, jumping up and down in her seat like a pixie on meth. That in itself, was a little alarming to Bella, for she seemed a little to over excited to see her, but that wasn't what really caught her attention. It was the fact that the girl was so... Striking. She was unlike any person Bella had ever seen, and just by looking at the girl's pitch black eyes she knew that she was not human. Bella couldn't really describe how she knew, but just by seeing the book last night she knew, she had only managed to read the preface, but it had enough about inhuman creatures, and Bella could tell that Alice Cullen was one, though the term better would be phrased inhuman person. It was the way she held herself, in the movements of her bouncing and the way she smiled so brilliantly at Bella, they were too graceful, and at moments, too fast. She should have been terrified. But, for the oddest reason, as Bella looked on at Alice's thin, pixie face, and her willowy body, Bella was suddenly struck that... That Alice was similar to her. Alice far surpassed her in beauty, of course, because though Bella herself saw herself as a pretty person, not by choice or vanity, but by genetics, and Alice was simply someone that was gorgeous, but something in Alice's face and body reminded Bella of herself, and she reached her new seat with a tentative smile on her face.

The Gypsy was humming like crazy, and in her hums Bella felt panic. But she ignored that as Alice opened her beaming mouth, onyx eyes sparkling.

"I'm Alice Cullen, pleased to meet you Isabella!" said Alice with an excitement that made Bella lift her brows slightly.

"Bella, I just like Bella." she responded blushing, as the whispers around her got louder.

Alice scouted over, spreading a textbook across their now joined desk with another wide smile.

"Well then Bella, I have to ask, can I see your schedule, please?" Said Alice with a tilt to her head.

With a nod, Bella handed over her schedule, and watched as Alice's dark eyes flicker over them, and frowned when she pouted.

"I have all the same classes... Except your English class and your Biology class, that's switched for both of us... Shoot." mumbled Alice, chewing absently on her thumb.

Bella smiled at the girl's dismay, oddly charmed by her.

"It's okay, at least we have these classes together." said Bella with a friendly pat on her back.

Alice giggled.

"Bella, for the oddest reason, I have a feeling we're going to be the best of friends, darlin'." said Alice in a rush, as if she had been waiting to say this for weeks, and with an odd southern twang at the end.

Bella herself couldn't help but chuckled at that.

"...You have beautiful eyes you know." said Alice abruptly.

Bella blushed, looking away, noting the whispers and blushing even harder.

"Thank you... They're strange aren't they?"

Alice smiled slightly at her self-conscious tone.

"Not strange, just beautiful, and unique... It's not everyday you see violet eyes, especially in such a beautiful face." she said softly, shrugging.

Bella laughed slightly, blushing even more at the Alice's honest tone.

"Don't, I'm not. Pretty maybe, because I look so much like my mother, but beautiful? No." said Bella with a sad smile.

Alice did something she never expected her to do, she wound her arm around Bella's shoulders, a gentle, caring movement. Her arm was hard like stone, and even through her clothes Bella could feel that she was cold... But, again, it didn't both her, and she felt some tension she hadn't known in her disperse. She felt comforted almost like when her father had hugged her, or when Sam had made her laugh...

"You're sad, I don't know why, but you are and I'm sorry for that... Maybe's because you've just moved... But, well, I've moved a lot, and I mean a lot... Just, know, that it gets better as you go." she whispered softly.

Bella just smiled.

"I happen to know, Alice, that it is getting better." Bella whispered after a moment of silence, a sort of sad smile on her face, because though Alice didn't know it, but she wasn't talking about simply moving.

The rest of class passed by in a quick movement, and Alice, as it turned out, was exactly what she needed. She was a bubbly, talkative person, full of a warmth that contrasted strongly with her hard and cold flesh. And she soothed, with all her wild talk off shopping, eccentric twang of her tongue, and random braiding of Bella's hair.(By the time they had made it to their next class, Trigonometry, Bella had already sported a french braid, a waterfall braid, a dutch braid, and at the moment a simple braid was hitting the small of her back.) Alice suddenly froze, just before they made it into the Trigonometry room. Her eyes glazed over, and then she jerked her head suddenly in Bella's direction, frowning. Her eyes were clear and chipped from ice as she spoke.

"I'll see you in a minute, okay?" she mumbled as they walked in.

Alice all but flew to her seat, a dark frown on her face as she looked onto Mr. Varner, venom in her eyes. Mr. Varner himself took one look at her, and then took her slip from her hand with a little forceful tug, eyes lingering on her own eyes, before he signed it. Now, Bella didn't really like math, she knew it wasn't her strong suit, and the man's rude manner so far angered her, but when he told her curtly to introduce herself, she really didn't like him, and just knew that this class was going to be her worst of the day. She turned to her peers, a manged a the smallest of smiles, which was really a twitch of her lips. Her face she knew by the heat she felt on it was surly very red.

"My name is Isabella Swan, I just like Bella, and I'm from Phoenix... I... I hope that we can get along." she said as calmly as she could.

A boy next to Mr. Varner's desk wolf-whistled, waggling his eye brows and smirking.

"I'll get along with you all day!" he shouted, thrusting his hips in chair.

Bella wanted to hit him, and she glared at him, wanting nothing more to cause him physical harm. It was then that she heard a giant _**CRACK**_. Everyone in the class looked up alarmed, and Bella wanted to drop her head into her head in mortification, because she knew that she had released some magic, if the tingling in her hands was anything to go by... A mug from Mr. Varner's desk had broken, and at the moment the owner was swearing in dismay, as was the boy who had whistled and shouted at her brutishly, because his arm had a shallow scrape to it, though by some mercy there was no blood on it at all, which made her sigh in relief, for her and blood didn't have the best relationship at the moment. Bella took this chance and rushed to her seat, feeling as if she had been conked over the head. She had lost control so easily, and though she was used to such things such as this happening, she felt that this was her chance to start over, and just maybe be normal... But as she sat next to a giggling Alice she had a faint feeling that that was going to be impossible.

"Strange, though I have to say Tyler was being a complete ass." muttered Alice with a smile.

"Really strange... I wonder if the heat and the cold did that?" said Bella back, remembering faintly if combined just right it could cause a mug to break, though that wasn't the real case here.

Alice just shrugged and pushed their desk together, spreading her textbook in between them. Bella wondered aloud when she would get her own, and Alice explained with a strange and smug smirk on her face that all of the extra textbooks that the school currently had held where gone, and it was unlikely that they ordered a new set just for her. She offered to share her books for each class, as well as to switch each time they had the two classes that they didn't share. Bella readily agreed, not wanting to have to fumble for books. This class passed at the same rapid pace as before, and so did the next, and before she knew it Bella was going to lunch which she relished the idea for, because though her stomach curled at the thought of food, Bella quite simply was starving. They both danced through the lunch line after Spanish, as both of them had a grace that a prima ballerina would kill to have, though Alice was much more graceful, with a added inhuman and almost animalistic gait in her movements. Alice didn't allow her to get anything herself through the line, batting away her hands when she tried, or when she tried to pay, insisting that she could steal from her family. Bella let that slide, though she promised herself to actually buy something tomorrow, though in reality all she could focus on was that her magic seemed to be humming in a bright, joyful manner running throughout her body in such a lively manner that it made her a little dizzy, feeling it right beneath her skin. It was her body warning her again, as if something very very important was about to happen. The _Sentimenti del futuro,_ the feelings of the future...

They walked to a table in the very back of the cafeteria, where three distinctively beautiful people were seated, all huddled together frowns on their faces, or well two had frowns on their faces, from what she could see. They were two boys, really men and a girl that had her back to her. Two of them were blond, though the male was a soft honey blonde, while the girl's was a platinum color. The other boy, that looked much more like a young male teacher had dark curly hair. They all were pale pale like Alice, paler than Bella, and both boys had Alice's onyx eyes, she guessed that so did the girl, if she turned around. Bella also knew if she touched them that they would have Alice's cold and hard skin. The blonde man was lean, yet muscled and he had a kind of classic face, a strong jaw and a sharp cheek bones, his arched eyebrows and his dark, alert eyes made Bella feel as if he was very, very hungry. When he looked at her, Bella felt just the tiniest of shivers go down her spine, but ignored that to look him straight in the eyes. His brows suddenly mashed downward, as if he was confused, though there was also a slight flare of his nostrils, then sudden relaxing of them, and his confused only furthered to mar his face.

The other man was harder, yet softer at the same time, his face was a strong, square and his cheeks were not quite round, but close, and looked almost child-like but not, his eyebrows were somewhat thick, though it suited his strong, handsome face, and his hair was a halo of dark curls, which bounced slightly with each of his movements. Just by looking at him Bella could guess if he smiled he would have dimples.

"Bella, this is my brother, Emmett, and Rosalie Hale, his girlfriend and my boyfriend, Jasper Hale. My other brother is one his way, his name is Edward..." said Alice with pride, making a wide gesture to her family.

Bella smiled tentatively, and froze when Rosalie looked at her, her onyx eyes looking with her own violet ones... She couldn't explain it, but when she saw Rosalie she felt whatever tension that had still filled her disperse completely. Something in her beautiful face was soothing, from her large, slightly hooded eyes, to her high cheek bones made her relax utterly. She smiled widely, something that she hadn't done in a long time, and only just yesterday would have never even dared to do.

"Hello." Bella said, softly.

Rosalie froze, looking at her eyes wide, and looking as she had been hit over the head with something very hard. She suddenly smiled softly, eyes warm, her face something that an old master would have killed to paint.

"Hello, aren't you a pretty thing." said Rosalie, stretching out her elegant hand.

She shocked her family if the silence and gaping mouths were anything to go by, but Bella felt that she didn't care, and she clasped her hand in her large one.

"Pleased to meet you." said Bella, sitting down next to Rosalie.

"Pleasure is mine." said Rosalie, scooting closer.

They smiled at each other, and pretty much ignored the looks from the rest of the family, which they then turned to, smiling and talking about whatever came to mind. They stayed like that for a few long moments, and Bella found out five things. One, Emmett was loud, crass and completely hilarious. Two, Alice was still slightly eccentric, and bubbly. Three, Jasper was quiet, with mischief in his silence, and he had a sliver tongue that he used to embarrass what I found to be also his foster brother. Four, Rosalie was a little harsh around the edges, but she was still warm. And Five, Jasper and Alice, Rosalie and Emmett were completely and utterly in love with each other. It was a beautiful thing, yet it did nothing but make her sad, which they somehow picked up on and tried to cheer her up. It worked utterly, and she couldn't help but smile at their antics...

Rosalie redid her hair as well at one point, ignoring her foster sister's pout, making her hair twist into a elegant, and long fish braid. Bella felt as if her hair had been manhandled, or in this case woman-handled enough for the day. It was then when she said that dryly out loud that had everyone in laughing that she felt another shoot of that pesky _Sentimenti_.

"_Figlio di una cagna_!"muttered Bella, hitting herself in the forehead with her palm.

The table stared at her with wide eyes.

"Was that Italian?" said Jasper with raised brows.

"Wow, the little one has quite a mouth!" laughed Emmett, two dimples appearing on his cheeks.

"Bella! You really shouldn't swear, no matter the language." said Rosalie, eyes wide.

"You know Italian?" said Alice, brows furrowed.

Bella blushed, standing up, and smiling nervously.

"I'm sort of kinda learning it." she said with a shrug, stepping away from the table.

She needed to get out of there, she couldn't explain but she just had to.

"Are you okay?" asked Rosalie, standing up as well.

"I have to go to the bathroom, I'll see you guys later, and see you in gym class Alice..." said Bella taking another step back.

Rosalie smiled, as did the rest.

"We have that gym class as well, we'll see you there, okay?" she said with a soft, motherly smile.

Bella blinked at her description, for Rosalie looked anything but motherly, but dismissed the thought to run out of the cafeteria, and into the nearest bathroom. There she splashed water on her face, and tried to relax, jumping when someone spoke behind her.

"Are you okay?" asked a soft voice timidly.

The voice almost sent her into cardiac arrest. She spun around to see the tall and shy looking girl, smiling at her with a concern look in her eyes.

" Just a peachy." said Bella with an easing smile.

"Oh...Are you sure?" her voice and face was filled with only concern, and Bella smiled brighter.

"Yeah..Thanks-...I don't know your name sorry." said Bella, blushing.

It was the girl's turn to blush, she shook her head and gave Bella a timid, yet very kind smile.

"Oh! Sorry, how rude of me! My name is Angela Weber! You're Isabella Swan, right?" she said, flustered.

"I just like Bella...Um, do you know where Biology with Mr. Banner is?" Bella suddenly asked, glancing at her watch, knowing that she might be late, for it was the only class she had memorized the location for.

"Of course, it's my next class! I can take you there!"said Angela with a beaming smile.

They walked in silence, both Bella and Angela really too shy to really talk. Though it was a comfortable silence... When they walked into the classroom Bella noticed that a bronzed haired boy sitting with the only empty seat beside him, and she knew by just looking at him that he was Alice's missing brother. Bella felt herself shiver, a strong one that almost brought her to her knees, before she collected herself. She knew that she had no choice but to sit next to him, but felt herself shiver again at the thought. She walked up to her new Biology teacher, faintly noticing a breeze of warm air hit her face, toward the direction of the bronzed haired boy. And that was the moment her life took a different course, one that would teach her how to love, and bring joy, yet hurt and fill her with such sadness that it would almost break her. One little breeze decided Bella's fate... And theirs as well.

* * *

**AN: I don't own Twilight!**

**Oh, well, this took me forever to write =/. Anyway, just to tell you Bella is only sixteen, her birthday is December 13th, and yes Phil was going to give her that stuff on her birthday, and he died on the 5th of December. Erm, if you have any questions feel free to pm me, and also please please review people! I'd love you forever.**

**~()~: Change of time**

**~*~: Change of P.O.V.(point of view.)**

**Translation:**

**_Figlio di una cagna: Son of a bitch(lol)_**

**_Bambina: child, female form_**


	6. Monster

**Monster**

It hit him with such excruciating bluntness that he hardly took another breath before it hit him again, clawing its way through his nostrils, and his throat like a savage animal. He couldn't describe just how hard it hit him, as it was surly the hardest anything had ever hit anything had hit anything else before. It was a thousand car accidents. It was a million wrecking balls. Maybe even the collision of planets could amount to a fraction of the force that hit him. It was almost as terrible as the time that his creator's venom had run through his system, for the heat and flame that licked at his throat felt just like it. His indestructible skin seemed to writhe, almost ripping at the seams into little ribbons of hard and supposedly indestructible flesh. He breathed in a small gasp, hands curling into deadly sharp things before he forced them into a fist, knowing that if it where possible sweat would be upon his brow.

His powerful muscles tensed so tightly that if he had been holding anything within his hands he would have crushed whatever unfortunate item to dust, and he felt as if his very bones were about to with the pressure that his muscles produced... Yet he still smelled flowers so damn sweet, yet spicy and heady that it made his mouth water with deadly venom, and he felt it pool into his mouth, coating his teeth and reading them to infect its next victim with such a steadiness that hadn't occurred since his newborn days.

And he felt like such a monster, knowing his already dark eyes were surly as black as the devil's, and he turned those devil eyes to the person that had caused such a trembling need within him.

His breath stopped. She looked almost like a child, though the slight curves in her figure disagreed with that, and her slightly swaying hips, which made his predatory gaze lock on that sway. He liked his lips and swallowed. Her hair was an endless and fragrance filled wave that glittered dark and rich, vibrant colors in the light, and her skin glowed with a luminosity that was utterly human, yet not. He could see the sliver tones in her flesh that were not, and they flickered with something that he couldn't really describe, for they looked natural in the tones of her pale flesh. The blue thin and delicate lines of her veins pulsed with her fast heart beat and the red arteries laid graphed into her flesh along with the sliver in an intertwined system that looked, impossibly intricate and inseparable, and his medical knowledge came up at a blank to explain any of it. He blinked as he saw the sliver suddenly give a sudden,quixk burst of a shudder, rippling in such an way that her delicate veins and arteries where put into such delicious prominence... He swallowed back the venom once again.

Bella. He forced himself to think of something other than her physical being... Other than her _**blood**_.

Bella. That was what everyone called the woman-child named Isabella Swan. Bella. Beautiful, in Italian. Something that most people who knew about the hidden meaning behind her name suited her. His family he thought as he watched her give her slip to the teacher and make small talk, were already endeared with the girl... He had never seen that coming, and Alice's recital of constant string of horrible musicals suddenly made sense to him, as she had been doing it since December fifth of the previous year, when she had shut herself in her room for many hours before she had come out, venom filled eyes a mess as the rest of her... She must have seen the girl then...

She had seen this girl coming as a friend, if what was now being projected into his head was true. The girl with Esme, the girl helping Esme with the donations they gave to the food bank, smiling in delight, dimples appearing and what looked like venom flooding her eyes. Carlise and her in his study, reading a book side by side, and leaning against each other in comfort, a blanket over their feet. Jasper and the girl playing their elaborate version of chest. Alice dragging her along in a large shopping mall. The girl playing violent video games against Emmett. Rosalie and her simply swinging on a porch swing, huddled close and looking to be talking softly and simply happy. The girl and Edward in his room, where the girl held a guitar and he played the keyboard. He was smiling in this vision. Bright, full and in a way he never knew he could smile.

Impossible. For she was a mere human, and he knew if he had seen such a vision he would appealed to his father to help them leave, just to spare her the danger of entering the world in which he and his family were truly from. He would have done it as a means of protection for the girl... At the moment, though, for Edward, she was not on for protection, no ally... No... She merely prey.

The most delicious prey that he had ever come across in ninety or so years of him being a cold, harsh monster. A cold one... A vampire. He almost smirked at the thought, though he didn't dare, swaying in such a way that no one human could see that he looked like a snake about to strike, and his little mouse was walking toward him, coat in hand, looking absently around her, posture tense as she almost danced to her new seat...

The seat right next to the one who would most likely take her life in a short time. The monster within him, the one he had thought long dormant or dead growled with hunger, gnashing at the feeble bars of his cell, which had once been the strongest of steel... His jaws were leaking venom and soon to be red eyes glowed with blood lust. Edward shuddered, and waited as the girl came nearer, just knowing how sad it would be to end such a young life, along with the other in the room which would die as collateral damage in his quest to get the girl.

The monster inside him cooed almost lovingly in his ear, like a starved lion at his thoughts, and as the girl took steps closer, he counted the seconds until he would kill her... Then it happened. So suddenly, the girl tensed, not even breathing, as her chest did not rise. The shudder of sliver happened once again, bigger and more forceful than the last. She gasped, shivering as her knees buckled from underneath her. She fell. Then she caught herself on the desk with a quick dexterity that most wouldn't expect from a girl such as her, for she looked too delicate to posses it. She breathed in, eyes wide and knuckles gripped so tightly that they shone white on her already ashen skin. She looked up trembling, face almost as pale as himself.

Onyx locked with violet.

He breathed in a gasp. And he quickly stifled it, stopping himself from breathing all together. Just one look into those violet eyes sent a jolt through his body, sent rational thought straight into him, and threw the monster deeper into its now weaker cage. He didn't have to breath. He didn't have to harm the woman-child... No. He didn't have to have her blood running through him. He didn't need her... Yes. For the sake of his own self, and for that of his family... And he thought, eyes still locked with her's for the girl's sake as well. She was just to innocent of this to be taken by a monster such as himself. Only sixteen. Younger than everyone in the room. Such an innocent age, just a year before he himself had been made a vampire.

Innocence was this girl's savior, as well as her large doe like violet eyes.

The girl sat, stiffly and a little clumsy that seemed at odds with her otherwise graceful demeanor. Her long hair became a curtain between the two, and Edward frowned at the sudden lost of her face, hence her eyes, the very things that had gave him sanity. He shifted away from the girl, not wanting frighten her, and hoped that at some point she would take away that hair so he could continue being his sanity. She took deep breathes he noticed, steady, but to controlled to be natural, her fists were curled in a tight little thing. So odd for such delicate looking things. Things that looked as if a breath could break them, and surly a simple touch of his could crush. He swallowed tightly, the image of his father, mentor, and creator coming into his large mind along side the monster within him. Red and gold clashed. The temper of their brows, the set of their mouths, one steady and compassionate, the other a snarling mess. One thought himself a god, the other knew his order in the world, and fought it daily to become something akin to an angel.

If Edward had been breathing, he knew his breathe would have shuddered. What kind of person, _**creature**_ was he if he would willing take another human life? He had sworn to himself on the night he had finally snapped out of his ten years of 'rebellion' that he wouldn't drink another drop from the race he had once been. He had been tempted, he wasn't perfect enough to not be so, but really, this small girl, this _**child **_that had just so happen to have a change in custody between her divorced parents would shake seven decades worth of his endurance? How dare she. How dare this innocent girl come and try to destroy him, and what his family had built in this cursed afterlife. This life wasn't much, it wasn't prefect, and it would not be what any of them would keep if they could turn back... But, it was theirs', and they would keep it close as it was all that really mattered to them.

At that moment, Edward Anthony Masen Cullen hated the person called Isabella Marie Swan. She was his demon, everything he hated about what he was, and who he was came to light with such a girl around and he wanted to scream. He didn't dare, but he did move his chest up and down in a mockery of breathing instead. He gaze fixed on the clock above the instructor's head, and it stated that he had one hour of burning. It made him faintly wonder if he was a witch. He almost laughed at the thought, and steadied himself by breathing internally. One hour. Just sixty minutes. Three thousand and six hundred seconds. Thirty six hundred thousand milliseconds...

The hour couldn't pass by quick enough.

It didn't help at all by the fact that the girl kept getting his attention. Little things that made him turn when he saw it out of the corner of his eye. Loosening her tiny fists. Sighing softly and almost soundlessly. Giving a huffing sound, as if she was annoyed. Humming a moment later, as if she was having a conversation and responding with just that. Clutching at her chest, and giving a irritated sigh before relaxing her grip and putting her hand on her lap. Playing with the end of her striking hair. Her fingertips where impossibly small, smaller than the tiny Alice's. The one they called a pixie. They moved slowly, dancing in a tango with her hair. And then the girl looked at him. Once again onyx locked with violet.

Her eyes where so strange. Violet of all things. Her lower lip he noticed, was a tad fuller than the top, to much so to be perfect. He only did so because it trembled. She trembled. She was frighten. Of him... Of the monster she surly saw. He swallowed thickly, he didn't want to be a monster. He had never wanted to be. He didn't want his personal demon to be frighten of him, what irony. He wanted to laugh. He knew if he had the option he would have wanted to cry. She smiled. Smiled! At him. A weak one of course, but a smile nonetheless.

"I'm sorry..." she said it so softly even he had trouble hearing.

He blinked at her words, wondering with a start if the girl knew what he was and knew what she was causing. Not for the first time, he wished for the fact that he could read her mind. The second he had tried he had been met with a whole pile of nothing. A first, for a vampire that had been reading every mind he had come across since he was a new-born. It just so happen that this was the one mind he would do everything to read. He knew that he did that it would be just as shallow, just as judgmental as most. But he still wanted to know. He wanted to know now... Yet he couldn't. No matter how much he glared into her violet eyes he heard no whisper in the ten mile area that had resembled the soft, not quite musical voice that had reached his ears just a second before. He opened his mouth to ask why the girl was sorry.

The rest of his thoughts and responses to the girl were stopped by the bell ringing, and with a start he watched her pick up her leather bag, smile at him weakly again and speed off before he could even move his lips. She had moved at an oddly quick speed. Not superhuman by any standards, but still too quick. He dismissed this when he heard Mr. Banner clear his throat, and he noticed that the last period of the day was already filling in, and he had was still in the room. He smiled offhandedly to the younger man, nodding his head in what he hoped to be respectful and sheepish to him.

Edward couldn't help but join the girl's rapid pace, if much faster. He sped out of the classroom to try and get some fresh air, where her scent wouldn't be anywhere near. It wasn't until he was outside in the parking lot and breathing in the cold fresh air did true rational thought come to him... It was then that a full panic mood settled into him, and he swore quite loudly and profusely in a way he would never dare repeat in front of a lady. After a few minutes of this, he noticed that he was a good ten or so minutes late to his final class...

He ditched his next class without a thought, sending Carlise a quick text to cover for him, before being like the coward he had hope to never be and barricaded himself in his car. Rock and roll from the days that it had first touched his ears and wowed him crooned out from the speakers, and he was glad for the sound proof car, and pumped up the volume. If he were human he knew that his ears would ache, and that was just what he needed. In his haste to hide in the car he had missed the passing period, and flipped over to his sister Alice, wondering if the semi-omniscient pixie had picked up on his almost murder... Murders. He found her familiar 'voice' soon enough, it was too loud to ignore really.

_I'LL SKIN YOU ALIVE. I'LL BITE YOUR FUCKING HEAD OFF EDWARD IF YOU DARE EVEN THINK OF SO MUCH AS HARM A HAIR ON THIS GIRL'S HEAD. SHE'S SOMEONE WE WILL ALL COME TO CARE DEEPLY ABOUT. WE WON'T CARE IF SHE'S... HUMAN. NOT EVEN ROSALIE._

Edward stood up straight at the last part of Alice's rant. Rosalie wouldn't care that the girl was human? How could that be? Out of all people, he would think that Rosalie would protest the girl even less than him! He turned to Rosalie, to check out her own point of view:

"Bella, how much do you weigh?" asked Rosalie, and she frowned at the petite girl in front of her.

Said girl flushed, and bit her lower lip. They were sitting from what Edward could tell on the school gym's bleachers, and the girl wasn't dressed in the customary sweat pants and shirt of the Spartan Forks. Instead the coach must have taken it easy on her and let her sit out the first day, and by the looks of it, the rest of the class, as they were all clustered on the opposite of the gym, staring. Rosalie could hear their whispers, all speaking again about the Cullens and the 'odd' new girl. Though most of the girls had greeted the girl in welcoming tones, they were currently saying a few things out loud and in their minds that Edward would never dare repeat, even to a gentleman. Edward processed this along with Rosalie, who was glaring at the girls, and still listening to Bella as she called her with an ease that a human could never managed.

"I.. I think about seventy pounds... I've lost a lot of weight recently." said the girl softly.

_Only seventy? She's small, but that's still not healthy..._

"How much did you weigh before?"asked Rosalie in a worried tone.

Worried! A worried tone? Rosalie? For someone who hardly saw past the mirrors in her life?

"Erm, around ninety eight, seven? I'm not sure..."

Rosalie nodded, processing it and trying to figure out what had happen.

"How long ago was this?"

The girl bit her lip, and flushed once again. She looked away, and from Jasper Edward felt a spike in the emotions of sadness, embarrassment, and fear. Both him and Jasper raised a brow, and he shot the tiny girl a startled look.

"Since September..." she said, looking away again.

_Four months, in four months this girl lost twenty-eight pounds... In four months. I'm no human expert but that sounds off. Even alarming... Maybe I should tell Carlise? Asking what a good weight and muscle building diet for the little one won't fade away... And Alice and I have to take her shopping, from what I can gather she didn't take much clothes with her in the move, no point, to much difference in climate from Phoenix and here. Oh, is she prone to shivers then? Maybe a couple of jackets and thicker sweaters, her skin looks too delicate to provide any warmth... And-_

Edward cut himself from his least favorite (but favorite nonetheless) sister's mind. It had such a... Maternal edge. He couldn't find another way to describe it. No matter how much he tried, the care, dedication and ever constant smile she sent the girl's way had nothing but the characteristic of what Esme had whenever she thought of anyone other than her husband. He always knew that Rosalie longed for motherhood above anything else, but for her to attach it to this girl of all people, with that damn scent of hers! That intoxicating scent of freesias, orange blossoms... And something else. He had smelled nothing of salt or rust, as most blood of any creature was prone to smell like. Just something else, something dark, heady, spicy. It had sang along with the sweet, warm aroma of the flowers, and it had made him want to do nothing more than to reach down and caress her lithe little neck with his nose, enjoying the bouquet just before he tasted what promised to be the best meal of his life...

Edward froze, noticing for the first time that he had been reaching for the door, as if he was going out to grab the girl now. He flinched back from the door, and with a shuddering sigh threw his head into his hands. He wanted to kill the girl. He... He wanted to drink every last drop of her blood. He wanted to prove to himself once and for all that he was a monster. But he managed to hold himself back. But only just. Even with the clean air around him, he could still remember it perfectly, to each throat parching detail. He swallowed thickly, before reaching to his backpack to write a quick sticky note, attaching it to the steering wheel and placing the keys in on the driver's seat. He hoisted his backpack onto his back and stepped into the pouring rain.

_WAIT! Edward don't leave yet! I... I have to tell you to come back soon... We'll need you... I call when I can understand more... My visions are so insane right now... Miss you._

Edward too in the Alice's words, and then ran through the rain, heading for home, praying that Esme wasn't there. He needed to leave for a while, and he couldn't bare to tell his mother that the monster had come back to play after so many years... He just couldn't.


	7. Denali

**Denali**

_1.7 Weeks, 12 days, 288 hours, 17280 minutes later... _

Snow was warm he reflected softly in his mind as he absently molded it between his long, pianist fingers. It did not melt as he felt it should have, as it would have if he was human, but stayed in a perfect crystallized form that he could see thousands of colors sparkling through, a prism even in the night for him... They were beautiful of course. As was the everything he could see with his enhance vision. One of the things that he had actually enjoyed of this form was his sight... Even in the Alaskan night, he could see as perfectly as if the sun was shining down on the luminescent snow.

It wasn't exactly the same he noted, it could never be, as the various colors in the night were somewhat dulled, and they took a different meaning, never the same as what they were in the light and heat of the sun. It had been that way for him for so long. No real light, not even the smallest ray. Just darkness. Darkness and darkness, always the night, the stars a weak and dilated form of light, the moon dull and just a mere reflection of the real light he wish to be under. He never could he walk in the heat of the sun without his unhumaneness screaming out to haunt him, without the beautiful lights that tried to make up for the lack of the soul glaring him in the face with their damn colors, just as the colors around him... Dullness and utter unhumanity he thought with a sigh, and he went back to musing the snow around him, trying to not sulk or wallow in his depression.

It wasn't cold, nothing he reflected, save for small exception of liquid nitrogen was cold to him. And that was in the extreme side of things, for it froze everything... Everything was warm to him, always warm and like a furnace in some cases. From the straggly rocks off to the left, to the frozen ground. His world was full of warmth while he held no warmth, at least, not anymore. And it, along with the ability to own a soul was the thing he longed for most in life. Warmth was everything... Especially those of the things that were alive. Things that had hearts, which where able to pound, which could speed with a thousand emotions and who could cry when they wished with said emotions. With sorrow, fury and even ecstasy. Breathed in with real propose and feel the heat of the sun, the shared warmth of someone else next to them, their hearts beating in tune in dance that only humans had. To feel tired and to feel the need to sleep, to escape into endless dreams, their imaginations made alive in their minds, their nightmares brought alive in a way he even longed for... Being truly alive was all he wished for. To be a living, actual breathing creature with a soul...

Like that polar bear that was staring him down at the moment. Unlike most of its fauna brethren, this bear was not wary to him. Staring him down without any fear or skittishness, only with a certainty and serenity that was still powerfully savage. Maybe there was something wrong with it? It's large tawny eyes were bright and full of an animal wisdom that looked fierce, and they bore into his soulless eyes... Maybe not. In the dim light of the moon, he could see every detail about it.

The majesty of its sheer size, larger than most and could almost tower over him if it would stand on its hindquarters. The blinding white of his supple form, which made the snow next to its look dirty and the sheer softness that its fur surly would be called to him. He sighed, head resting on his knees and arms coming up to warp themselves around his knees. He absently noted that he wore a plain sweater, and that his legs were clad in faded jeans. He let out another sighed, and tighten his grip on his knees. His now golden gaze did not falter in the least from the elegant animal before him, and its eyes did not falter from his. Everything from its stance to its eyes projected serenity. Nothing about it was wary nor tense. Not afraid as it should be. Not fleeing for its life as it should be... What an idiotic bear...

"You should run." he said softly to the bear.

He expected it to at least bolt at the sound of his voice, and that its serenity around him had only been a cosmic fluke. The bear just took a step closer, then another, and another, tilting its head at him before firmly settling down on all fours only a foot away from him, and gave a strong snort.

"Stupid, I could very well kill you for coming this close."

Even with his half-hearted threat, the stupid bear gave him a steady gaze. He could almost here it say,

'so is that fact?'. He sighed, and ran his fingers through his wild copper hair and gave the bear a glare.

"... I guess, if I can't make you go away, I can talk to you... Bore you to death with the ramblings of an immortal soulless thing like me, can't I?" he said with a bit to his voice.

The bear gave him a level stare again.

"... There was a girl." started Edward, a sigh coming between his lips.

The bear had the audacity to snort.

"Shut up."

The bear just pawed at him, obviously asking for him to go on.

"She... She was smaller than my sister, Alice. She has the... She has these eyes... I can't even being to describe."

The bear scooted closer, eyes expectant.

"Don't look at me like that! It's not what you think. It's not romantic in any sense. And I assure you that it never will be!"

The bear tilted its head to the side, and pushed its muzzle into his cold hand. Edward gave it a long stare before he sighed again, knowing somehow that the bear didn't believe him, and hating the fact that it didn't. After another nudge to the hand, Edward got the hint and explained himself probably to a bear of all things. In which he knew that Emmett (his first brother and the only one to be mauled by a bear leading to his vampire)would be very peeved with the fact that he was spilling out his soul (figuratively, since he had no such thing) to a bear as if it was some form of priest and he was in the confession box. Either that or laugh his arse off. He moved on to talk to the bear, deciding that it deserved a proper explanation, his hands moved with his every word. He had no idea of his expression was growing more and more furious.

"She was the most delicious smelling creature I have had the misfortune to meet. Her lithe neck, her blood and scent call to me, call to confirm what a monster I am. I want to _**eat **_her for heaven's sake!"he screamed suddenly, getting up in a rapid movement.

And then he started to pace. Back and forth in a rapid movement that soon laid a deep worn path line in the snow. He paced like a caged animal, a lion starved, as his family would call him, and growled with frustration. Without his notice his hands came to fist themselves in his hair, and he pulled at the luminescent strands with a vengeance.

Every little feeling that had occurred within that stupid biology seem to magnify, and it made his non-beating heart clench in a fist grip. Weakness, no control whatsoever and burning need to just break every moral code that he had etched into his body, into his flesh, into his very damn bones had been stripped away by one little step by that damn girl! _**EVERTHING **_he had worked for, everything his family had worked for, gone! In just one little action of this insignificant, breakable and mortal girl!

"Eat her! I want to eat the stupid little girl that just happen to move to Forks, because of some custody situation, where she most feel horrible as it is! She's innocent, I can see it in her damn eyes and it's killing me! She's only sixteen, sixteen, and she's already in danger of dying because of her stupid and damn scent! She's in danger of getting _**EATEN**_ by me! A girl her age she be experiencing heart ache, and failing classes, not being prayed upon by me! I'm a monster, and her presence confirms that,and because of that_** I fucking hate ISABELLA SWAN**_!"

After a moment from his little rant, Edward froze. His chest heaved, and his hair was unruly because his hands had been pulling at it. His eyes were surly black as pitch, and his face stark white, probably dulling even the pristine snow around him. He tried to steady his breathing, and failed utterly. He swallowed thickly, and fell to the ground with a groan. He curled into a tight ball, and wished to be able to sob, or do something non-vampiristic to relieve the sheer anger and frustration he had boiling beneath his skin. Anything, something to just make him feel a little more human than he currently did.

He snorted as he felt the muzzle of the stupid bear against his cheek, and gave the bear a bleak stare with a pitch glare.

"Go away you stupid thing."he muttered, pushing at its wet nose gently.

The bear merely sat again, curling into him, surrounding him in a platonic almost hug. Edward sighed, and curled around it as well, enjoying the softness of his fur, and burying his face into it. It was warm, almost impossibly so, and he could hear its heart beat pounding like a drum.

_Thump. Thump. Thump._

"I should name you something clever." he said absently.

_Thump. Thump. Thump._

"Bianco?" he said softly.

The bear snorted.

_Thump. Thump. Thump._

"No? Okay, well, how about King?"

Another snort.

_Thump. Thump. Thump._

"Ursa?"

At that the bear whacked at him with its large paw, and Edward moved out of the way so that it wouldn't hurt itself. He laughed at the movement, and dodged yet again as the paw came swinging.

_Thump. Thump. Thump._

"Alright, alright, not Ursa, not Ursa."he said with a snort.

_Thump. Thump. Thump._

"How about Ferre?" he asked softly.

The bear made no move to protest, and Edward sighed.

_Thump. Thump. Thump._

"Ferre it is."

They stayed curled up for who knows how long, and he spoke quietly to the bear, telling it more and he knew if he was human his throat would've been sore with the amount that he talked. He talked about soul wrenching things. He talked about the little things. The way his creator was always there for him, a true father in every sense of the word and would read to him in his mind as he played whatever instrument had taken his fancy at the moment... His mother, his sweet gentle mother of this form who always held him to the highest esteem when he clearly didn't deserve it. His first sister, who though was at a constant point of argument with him, was fierce and protective to those she deemed worthy. His first brother who was always one to make him, though even in his very vulgar sense of humor, laugh. His older brother who was scarred, slightly rough, but always the gentlest being he had ever met, with the sole exceptions of Esme and Carlise, and the one person to help with emotional distress, in spite of his rather violent past, which always kept the warrior edge to his gentle brother. And then their was his youngest sister. He told the Ferre of a pixie on meth, who energy almost made him feel alive again.

He even managed to talk of his human life, or what little he remembered of it. His strong, just biological father with kind, dark eyes, and the very wild thatch of copper hair that was on his own head... He didn't remember on his own a face, or if he was tan or pale or things like that, only his eyes and hair. But he did remember some of his quirks, like how he had hatted corn and eat them anyway because his wife loved them... And then that brought him to speak about his biological mother. The one he really remembered, with her gentle blond hair framing her face, and the strong tilt of her delicate brow and the firm tilt of her mouth. The love in her green, green eyes... She was the most prominent memory in his head, and he told the snorting bear in confidence that he had been a mama's boy through and through, and still sort of was... He talked about his longing for the glory of war, and how he was such a stupid little boy at the time.

He talked about love. All forms of love. The forms he had in his life, platonic, sisterly, brotherly, paternally. He talked about the one that had yet to grace him yet, the all consuming love of another that he watched over his life time happen again and again, to both humans and vampires a like. To watch them be consumed by the other in a secret dance that he could never replicate, and one he longed for. How could he not? With such happiness only a person away, no matter how damned he was now, he wished for that kind emotion, those kind of thoughts for his own. He wanted that and he wanted it for himself, no matter how selfish that sounded, it was what he wanted. No matter what his family though he wasn't entirely content with his single status in 'life'. He told Ferre that though he had had offers, he denied each one because he had never felt what he felt or heard that others felt. When he did, he would fight for it. He would cross mountains and shatter empires for such a feeling, and he was ready for such a fight, no matter how foolish it sounded.

He even went onto to things that had no rhyme nor reason, no real propose to explain or talk about. Just things that came to mind and seemed to matter. He went on to explaining his powers. Stating his love for music, his instruments at home and his composing. And telling the bear then of all of his favorite things, from music to books, to sports, and even to what he wore because that seemed somehow important.

He let his very essence out to this animal, in a way that relaxed him and made him feel as if he was a dying man, and had to say his story before he would fade forever. And he told his story, his wants, his fears, his hates, his loves. And amidst it all he talked of Isabella Swan.

The visions of Alice had seen, his expression in said visions. Her expressions. The love his family had for her in all of those streams of images. Everything. Every little detail that he knew of the supposedly unimportant creature named Isabella Swan. The curve of her neck, the tilt of her brows. The thinness of her form, and even the impossible violet eyes that haunted him until now. Her shyness with everyone, the expression on her face when she had first seen his family, the sadness that her emotions had screamed. Everything. He spoke until he felt he had nothing else to say, and fell into silence with his bear, just feeling its heartbeat and pretending it was his, wishing for all the world that was his own. For the first time in a very long time, Edward felt as if he slept, and his eyes closed, wishing it was completely true...

It was hours later of feeling its warmth and strong gentle thrum of its very intelligent air did the serenity between the bear and vampire finally break.

_Thump... THUMP, THUMP, THUMP! THUMP! THUMP!_

Edward jumped up with a start of the suddenly rapid increase of Ferre's heart and watched as the great bear scrambled away, taking a fleeting glance back to stare at him with those eyes, before it disappear into the dense, and somehow still lush despite the winter, trees. It had jolted as if it was in danger, and had done so so quickly that he knew that Ferre was not a normal animal, and he stared after it for a long time, and hardly felt the presence of two minds behind him. He sighed, wanting to do everything he could to find Ferre again, but felt it best to go speak with the ones behind him. Unsurprisingly, he said not a word, and still looked to where his new friend had disappeared.

"Edward?"said one with a deep, rich voice, faintly brushed with the smallest hints of a Spaniard accent, which only a vampire could detect.

As was habit either spoken or thought, he turned to the sound of his name, and looked up to see two other vampires in the clearing with him. Both held looked at him with worry expressions, and Edward himself could only smile sheepishly at his two Spanish 'cousins'. Both taller than he, and full grown adults, around their late twenties when changed, and with the hints of olive to their pale complications. They both looked at him with golden eyes, and with dark hair on their heads. After a moment of simply staring at them, not really understanding what he was seeing, Edward sprang into action, shaking his head like a dog to ride it of snow and polar bear fur.

"Eleazar, Carmen... What a pleasant surprise, didn't expect you both back so soon back from France." he said with a quick move to stand up, shaking the former's hand and kissing the latter on the cheek.

Both of them looked at him with those bright golden eyes. Most likely taking in his shabby snow covered appearance, and his rather pungent smell of polar bear. If he were human, he knew that he would have been as scarlet as a tomato, but played it off as if it was a regular thing, as he played with polar bears often.

"When we heard you were here Edwardo, we felt that it was best to come see you." said Carmen gently, the woman tilting her head to the side, her dark hair spilling over her shoulder.

Edward sighed heavily, and watched as Eleazar gave him a level stare.

"Yes, yes, we wanted to meet with you, in case you left soon, since you still have school do you not?"said Eleazar, the same concern as his wife and mate leaking into his strong voice.

Edward smiled good naturally and nodded, trying to fix attire absently. He did so to very little success, and knew that he had ruined a pair of clothes, and knew that they wouldn't be able to donate this pair. Pity...

"School has been postponed for now, I have a bit of... A problem there, and I'm trying to find the best solution to solve it." he said, sighing sharply again as he suddenly heard the three more minds enter his range.

It seems that his extended family had decided to have what humans called an intervention. He was very glad they had not found him when he had been ranting to Ferre about his problems. That would have been embarrassing enough if he had been talking to someone, let alone a polar bear. It was an embarrassment enough that he smelled of Ferre, and that he was covered in snow.

"What problem Edster?" asked the very cheerful voice of Kate, her Russian accent clear even in her bell like voice.

She came into the clearing with a speed, and with a smile, her two original sisters coming out behind her. Her straight hair glittering almost white in the dark of the night, eyes sharp and full of mischeif, though seriousness that many ever saw. Tanya entered the clearing first, strawberry curls bouncing as she launched herself at him, kissing him on each cheek before trying for his mouth. Edward promptly and polity dodged, ignoring the Coven leader's pout. He slipped out of her embrace to greet her other sisters, kissing Irina on the cheeks, and went on to spin Kate around in a rapid hug, jumping just before she let out her power onto her skin.

"It is good to see you again." he said with all honesty.

Tanya's eyes narrowed at his words, as did the rest of the covens'.

"Yes, it is good to see you again cousin, yet it is 'till now that we see you? You've been hiding in our woods for twelve days, and it seems a tad odd."she said sharply.

Edward shrugged.

"I needed some time to think, and the woods was a perfect place." he said truthfully.

"Yes, but without greeting us dear one?" asked Irina, her eyes the most narrowed of all.

Her hair truly was sliver in the moonlight, and her curvacious form was posed in a very wary stance. He swallowed sharply at her words, and shrugged.

"I... I needed to be alone."he said softly.

Irina's eyes softened.

"I see."

Silence fell on the group of six for a second before Edward felt best to break it, a hot feeling of embarrassment settling in his stomach.

"Why are you here anyway?" he asked honestly.

"Oh, its not like we don't own the property." said Eleazar, rolling his eyes.

More embarrassment filled him at his tone, and he ducked his head.

"Well, to be honest, we have come to have an intervention." said Tanya suddenly, clapping her elegant hands, eyes sparkling.

Edward laughed, feeling his own thoughts come back to haunt him. He tilted his head to the side, grinning madly at their banter, looking up from his self shame to see their glittering eyes.

"Is that so?"he said, humor laced to his tone.

"Si Edwardo, and since your family has called and wants you home in a few days time, well, its well time we've gotten our personal hermit out of our woods." said Carmen, smiling brightly, coming over to lace her arm with his.

Kate smiled with mischief, her palms up and sparking menacingly.

"If you don't come dear hermit, I'll shock your ass."she said with a bigger grin.

"And I'll help." said Irina, a small smile appearing on her lovely face.

Edward laughed, long and hard and smiling in a way that he hadn't been able to do in twelve days.

"I come willingly then, these fierce maiden warriors will be the end of me." he said with a bow.

The group at large at large laughed. Soon they all dispersed, heading toward their home, pleased with their efforts. It was only when he noticed that Tanya stayed behind did he decided not to follow.

"Edward, no matter what this problem is, I know you'll face it head on. That's the type of man you are." she said softly.

Her golden eyes burned and she kissed him quickly at the very corner of his mouth, before she left just as quickly. When Edward moved to follow, he looked back to see Ferre looking at him.

"Thank you." he said to the bear, honestly because it along with Tanya had helped him find a solution.

He would face his own personal demon head on... _So_, he thought as he raced back to the Denali home, _be prepared Isabella Swan. Because I'm coming to Forks, and I will be the factor whether if you live or die..._


	8. First Beach

**First Beach**

_Four Days After Denali..._

"...Wow." she stated simply, looking down at her feet with wide eyes.

The ocean danced and turned beneath her, and even with such fair weather, or in other words, just a simple cover of clouds and the air hot with humidity. It was a rare day, and she was not used to this type of heat, she was used to the hot, dry air of desert with the red hot sun alive across her skin. She was not used to this air, the one that made her skin slick and her hair stick even more tightly to the nape of her neck. She also wasn't used to the bright glare of the sky, brighter than the blue she was so use to... She wondered how the sky could be so bright with the sun hidden behind the clouds. It was surly impossible, wasn't it?

But, as she looked down at the turning waves and the sheer cliff she could only shake her head in amusement. They jumped off this thing for fun? Were they insane? A small part of Bella screamed yes in answer to that question as she looked down again, watching the waves twist, turn, and hit the iron rich cliff in a deadly, savage dance... But another, larger part of her was screaming to do it as well, because it would be so amazing... After all, while it was the highest cliff she had ever _**dived**_ over, it wasn't the highest she had jumped off period.

She had her mother to thank for that she suppose, who had had a very long parachuting and avian phase a while back, when Bella had been twelve. It had been just after her mountain and rock climbing phase. And just before the weaponry phase. Now that had been an interesting time for a thirteen year old...

"Mouse, you won't have to jump, don't worry, just watch us... I don't even know why I brought you three girls up here, it must be 'cause this idiot convinced me to." said Sam seriously interrupting her musings, and slapping Jacob, or Jake as he was mostly known, on the back of the head.

Bella stared as Jake merely grinned. He gave her a long and exaggerated wink with that handsome face of his, trying and failing to make her blush as he wrapped his burly arms around her thin shoulders.

"Oh, it's my fault? The lovely little ladies, including your little Mouse, wanted to see the view. Doesn't mean she has to jump."he said good naturally, his teeth blinding white against the copper of his skin.

Sam pinched the bridge of his nose, rolling his primal eyes. He then took a swipe at Jake again, but missed as he dodge out of the way. He walked to the very end of the clearing on top of the cliff, and gave her another wink as he crouched down in a professional runner's pose, thick brows mashed together in mock concentration, and a mad grin on his face. He then bolted, almost blurring to her as he ran like the wind, his long, copper and muscled legs pumping smoothly, hands moving in a comfortable movement as he ran. His short hair flopped slightly in the wind, and right then and there Bella thought he was beautiful to watch, as the rest of the boys here were.

"Bella watch me fly!" he screamed with a whoop, following his own words as he leaped off the side.

Bella watched his descent with wide eyes, and saw as he cleanly sliced through the waves bellow. It was obvious that this boy did it often, and very often by the way that he had cut through the water.

"Whoa." she said simply, moving some hair out of her face to see his little figure smoothly head towards the shore.

He cut through the waves like an Olympian, and she knew that if he tried he would be just that. And easily if the movement bellow her was an indication.

"Like what you saw?" asked a friendly, young Seth, arm reaching around to tug at her hair softly.

Bella could only smile at the younger boy, shyly and nod tentatively. He tugged at her hair again, as was his habit, one that he did very often with his sister's hair, before winking.

"Think that was cool, wait till the Sethanator has taken a crack at this shit!" he said.

"Seth don't swear!" screamed out a very irate Leah, long hair flowing in the wind.

She came over to Bella to watch her brother go over the edge, worry etched on her face, that worry trying to hide behind a mask of anger and disapproval. She looked at Bella with sooty eyes as soon as she was done looking at her brother, and those sooty eyes looked not soft, but hard and flinty. Yet somehow they were still very kind, hidden behind all that hardness.

"Are you going to do it?"she asked bluntly, gesturing to the borrowed swim suit on Bella's body.

She shivered and gave a shrug. It was a modest piece she was glad, and it used to belong to Leah a while back, she was told before Leah started growing so much. It was a bright red, and made Bella a little uncomfortable, but it covered all the parts it needed to, and wasn't too showy other than the color. Her hair was back in a pony tail, which swirled slightly in the wind. She smiled at Leah, knowing that the grumpy girl wasn't as mean as she appeared to be, and answered her question:

"Maybe, I mean, it looks insanely stupid to do... But insanely stupid seems so appealing right now... Are you going to jump?" she curiously asked.

Her head tilted to the side and violet eyes bore into sooty ones.

"I think I will." said Leah softly, watching as Jared, Qull, and Embry all dived off the cliff together.

They fell in a whooping mass, and Bella watched with Leah. They were all a good distance apart, and landed in the water just as cleanly as Jake and the Sethanator just a few seconds before. And like them they were soon heading for the shore. She could see that Jake was, as he just made it crawling along on the sand before he leaped up and got to work. He was making a small fire in the distance, his little ant like figure gathering wood and gesturing with his hands to the divers still in the water...

It was then that she saw a very happy Emily jump off as well with a really loud whoop, inducing a very loud and girlish scream on Sam's part, who was thrown a kiss as Emily fell over the edge. He bolted after her, cursing up a storm and with a frantic look in his eyes as he leaped off the side. They both sliced through the water at the same time, and the large of the two headed towards the smaller, scooping her up in his arms, and then headed towards the shore rapidly. She snorted at their antics, rolling her eyes and mumbling about stupid people in love. She turned to laugh it off with the grumpy Leah...

It was then that she saw Leah's expression. Her elegant brows were set downwards, heavily, her lower lip was bleeding as her white teeth bit into it. The small trickle of blood set Bella on edge, and her stomach heaved as she thought of the smell it would surly have... Then she saw the sooty eyes, those hard things that looked as tough as nails and so much more...

They held tears, large fat ones that trembled on the edge of her eyes, threatening to drop. Leah's face was getting more pinched by the second in her effort not to cry, and her stance was collapsing inward at a very disturbing rate. Her frame trembled, and not simple little shivers that would mean she was cold, but large shacking spasms that came with crying and sobbing like a small child. An all consuming type of crying that had taken Bella enough since last December. Leah was strong though. She refused to let the tears fall... But she did make a small, almost silent noise. It was a whimper, of sorts. Only it was a low cry that sounded more like an animal in pain than a human... It hit Bella's ears like a heavy blow.

Without thinking, and not minding the fact that Leah never showed a great liking for her, Bella's spindly arms came to wrap themselves around the larger girl, her touch tentative, not knowing if the very proud girl would react well, but still very gentle as she hugged her.

Leah stiffened, immobile as a statue. It was natural for her to do so. It was what she had expected her to do, but she had never expected her to hug her back, nor let out a louder version of the animal like whimper of before. She never never expected the tightness of the older girl's arms around her nor the feeling the sudden rush of sympathy that was so strong that she tighten her arms around her, and made small shhhing noises to such a proud girl.

Both of them fell to the ground in a trembling movement, lead by the older of the two, who sobbed into her thin shoulder. Together they must of looked a sight, a small pale girl holding onto the shoulders of this statuesque copper skinned girl, who had her arms around her waist securely, face mashed into her shoulder, body leaning toward her. Bella let her cry for who knows how long. She didn't say a word, nor much of a sound as she rubbed the girl's green swimsuit clad back, smoothing her long hair in what she hopped to be a comforting movement.

The silence of the clearing was broken by Leah.

"I loved him you know? Sam. He was my boyfriend a few years ago... I really loved him. And I thought he loved me..." she said it so softly that Bella struggled to catch it.

She stayed silent for the girl in front of her, tightening her hold her, who was still sobbing so hard on her shoulder. This girl was broken, she saw, she had seen in her attitude the second she had landed in Port Angeles. But she was a caring girl, and she loved her brother with all her heart. She knew that much as well. She like her father, wasn't all broken... No human, reflected Bella, could truly break... Not if they were strong as Charlie and Leah...

"But... He changed. Hugely, it was so bad at first, his face was always hard. As if he couldn't stand something... And then... And then Jared was the same... And Paul, and the rest of the boys followed... I tried to be there for Sam, and for the boys... But they pushed me away, like I couldn't be bothered with."

She hiccuped for a second, and buried her face deeper into Bella's thin shoulder. It hurt a little, the force Leah was using to hold on to her, but she could hardly feel it, too deeply inside her story to feel anything but sorrow and sympathy. She didn't dare feel any pity, for pity wasn't an emotion she wanted to see from others towards her.

"And then... And then he met Emily. He changed again. And he loved." she said bitterly.

Bella smoothed her black hair back out of her face when she moved out of her shoulder. Her face was darker, and the whites of her eyes red, puffy with the effort of her tears. She smiled softly, really a smirk more than anything. But a smile nonetheless.

"But... I suppose part of me accepted that. I've seen the way they look at each other. I can't win against that, and I don't want to. I'm happy for them both, I really am, but it's a bitter feeling... It doesn't help that I... I stopped having my period a while back." stated Leah quite bluntly.

Bella's brows raised, and she wondered..

"You haven't..." she said softly.

Leah snorted, rolling her eyes, getting her meaning quickly.

"Had sex? No. Never, I wanted to with Sam, but I wanted to wait 'till we were married. So, no, I don't have a bun in the oven Bella." she said simply.

Bella laughed softly, then looked at her seriously.

"Have you told your Doctor?"

Leah looked away, eyes far away and misty. She didn't say anything for a long moment, before she sighed.

"Look... I know I should, but... But I want to keep this to between ourselves for a while. To know that I'm infertile would be a very low blow to me, and I've had enough of those for a long while..."she said it so softly that Bella almost missed it.

"I'll go with you when you agree to tell your Doctor." said Bella, looking away at the sea bellow her.

Leah didn't say anything, but she did grab Bella's hand, and gave it a small squeeze. The girls broken for two very different reasons stayed silent for a while. They looked at the sea bellow them, they looked at the bright sky. Together Leah and Bella looked around them. Then they looked at each other, and fell into another embrace. Bella didn't cry, she wouldn't cry for her mother, no matter how much the tears wanted to fall, she wanted to tell the older girl her pain, but couldn't... It was too soon, too raw for her to speak about it... So she simply hugged the older girl. And the older girl didn't cry anymore either, she simply hugged the younger girl. It was silent for another moment.

"Want to jump together?" asked Leah after a moment.

Bella laughed, and she stood up nodding, disentangling herself from the Leah's arms. She held out her hand. Copper met alabaster. She heaved Leah up easily and looked to the turning sea.

"On three?" she asked with a smile.

Leah smirked, and moved a little to the side. Both girls readied themselves before they started to count together.

"One."

Bella's heart leaped into her throat, and she felt it start to pound as it always did with these kind of things.

"Two."

Her blood surged with adrenaline, and she felt her energy, her magic humming beneath her skin with that adrenaline.

"Three."

With a whoop and with a wink at the other, both Leah and Bella jumped. Leah screamed all the way down, but Bella laughed.

She gave out a full out laugh, the kind that made the whole body tremble with joy and rang out at a very loud rate. She laughed and laughed, loving the feeling of the wind through her bound hair, the rush of just pure feeling in her body, everything that she had loved about things like this, things she had done with her mother in whatever part of the world she had taken a fancy to. It was a release, a tribute to that woman that she had called mother. And it was everything she could to feel her insane, careless spirit with her. The feeling of nothing bellow her feet was wonderful, and for one breathless moment, the sky the only thing around her, and the wind rushing around her, Bella felt as though she was_** flying**_. It was at that thought that she finally hit the water, just as she was taught too, to make sure the slap of the water hurt less.

It was _**freezing**_.

That was her first thought as she watched her hair trail upwards in the currents of the green, deep water. Freezing and simply a wonderful difference from the humid air above. She linger under the waves for a second, watching her hair and bubbles dance in the wild currents of the ocean before her lungs told her to move her ass and get some air. Part of Bella wished she was an amphibian so she could linger more, but the other one just started to move upwards, legs slicing through the water with a never forgotten stroke. A moment later, and with practice movement, Bella broke the surface of the water, gasping. She brought her bangs out of her face, blinking to get the salt water out of her eyes. She noticed that her face hurt, because she was grinning like an idiot, and Leah was looking at her with a raise brows, trending water just like her and with an ease of someone who had grown up on a beach, or at least near one.

"You didn't scream." She accused her, mouth in a firm frown.

Bella shrugged at her.

"I never said I would." she said simply.

"But... Weren't you scared?" she asked, voice confused.

"Terrified." said Bella with a soft smile.

"Then why didn't you scream?" asked a very frustrated Leah.

"Because it was too fun to scream." she said brightly.

Leah looked at her and laughed, a fierce grin appearing on her face. Bella laughed too.

"WHAT THE HELL!?" Screamed out a very familiar voice on the shore.

Both girls turned, and saw the faint and distance shapes of the pack(as Bella called them in her head) scrambling on the beach. Two tall shapes cut through the water, and headed towards them at breakneck speeds. Bella turned to Leah with a grimace.

"I don't think they actually wanted us to jump." she said simply.

Leah snorted.

"Well, they can go shit a brick for all I care. That was _**fun**_." she said fiercely.

Bella laughed, and grinned at her tone. With a flick of her head, she gestured to the shore, and together the two girls swam towards their 'rescuers', easily, the taller of the two lagging behind at a slower pace so that the smaller one wouldn't get hurt in the rough waters. Two very furious versions of Jake and Sam greeted them half way, and Sam placed her firmly on his back, while Jake did the same to a protesting Leah. Sam was grumbling about how her father would murder them both she noticed, and she laughed again.

"He won't murder us. Or at least, not me, but well, your a big boy Sammy, you'll be fine." said Bella as they neared the shore at surprising speed.

He just grunted in return.

"Jake, I don't give a fuck, I'll do that again when I want, and you can't stop me... Though I will only jump as long as Bella jumps with me again." said Leah, smacking Jake in the back of his head.

"Sure, jumping buddies for life?" asked Bella.

"Yup." said Leah.

Jake actually snarled.

"NO!" he screamed.

Both Bella and Leah rolled their eyes, and seeing that the shore was near rolled off the backs of the boys, the smaller of all them reaching the shore first. She moved the wet hair out of her face, looking at the sight before her with a raised brow. It seemed that the pack had set everything up to match every single horror film she had seen, the strange blue green eerie flames flickering beautifully in the fading light of the sun behind the sun. Logs were scattered around, with the pack draped across them, in an odd but beautiful sight that made Bella wish that she could draw and make this picture on a canvas... Or that she at least had a camera. Emily smiled to them, and handed each girl a towel, thankfully large fluffy ones that covered Bella completely. She and Leah sat on the log nearest to the fire, relishing the warmth as Seth brought them food on three separate plates and different assorted drinks. She had no idea how he managed to juggle all that, but he did. She relieved him of a plate, and a coke.

"Thanks." she said to the younger boy, smiling.

He grinned wordlessly as he handed the food to his sister, and then flopped onto the sand between them. They group ate in a relatively loud chatter, comfortably and lively, music filling the air as soon stood to dance, and others simply nodded their heads to the music. Bella enjoyed the cacophony of their noise, like a messy chorus, not really speaking but included all the same before a single voice rang out to her.

"So, Mouse... I've heard you've been hanging out with the Cullens at your school." said Sam, settling near her.

Emily sat in his lap, and Bella wondered if they knew how much that hurt Leah. She noted that everyone tensed, looking towards her with a grim note in their eyes. Every eye was on her, and Bella smiled a very small, tense smile, not liking the intensity of their stares. The only one that looked as confused as she felt was Leah.

"Yeah, their really nice." said Bella, suspicion in her voice at their actions.

'Their really nice' was an understatement. The Cullens and the Hales had been so inviting to her, so welcoming, a bit like the pack, but much more soothing, and as if they planned to make Bella part of their family. It shocked her really, to get along with so well in such a short time as two weeks, with so many people, including the pack... She had hardly ever gotten along with anyone in general, her mother being her best friend and turning out to be the person she knew the least in life. But well, the Cullens, despite their inhumanness, were just what she needed...

Alice with her hyperness was what she needed to get through the day, she was a ball of energy, and she gave Bella some of that. She was a balm to her depression and she was a best friend, just as Sam was, just a girl who understood the same things she did, and good to keep her happy, even if she was horrible at keeping away from her clothes, and from pouncing at her any chance she got, hugging her and doing this and that to be close. Her boyfriend was the opposite of Alice. He was calm, a little distant... But gentle. Through the pain she saw in his hungry eyes, Bella saw the gentleness that Jasper had hidden inside. He always spoke softly to her, as afraid to scare her, and the rare few times he touched her (catching her when she stumbled, saving her from Emmett's antics) was as if she was the most fragile as glass, not in a way to make her feel frustrated or breakable, but to an extent that showed he cared. He was a shield from emotions, and noise.

Emmett, his foster brother was the one person she could go to make her laugh at school. His humor was brash, blunt and often times sexual, but it was real and so much like a teenager that it made her feel like one. It made her feel that despite she held heavy weight of the locket around her neck, she was still young, she was a girl, and she was still alive. His girlfriend... Now their relationship was a strange thing. His girlfriend Rosalie, or Rose as she was mostly called by those close to her was... She was... She was someone important to Bella. That much she knew. She always nagged at her, in that way that made her roll her eyes yet feel warm inside to know that she cared. She always stuffed her full of food, and most of her caloric intake took place around Rose, and she always adjusted her clothes, fidgeting with her collar or the lapel of her jacket, tsking as she tugged at her skirts. She even cleaned her face once when she had had a smudge on it from some random dirt. Rose was her silent mother hen, who, though harsh with her words and demeanor was just simply there and made Bella feel so happy to be around her.

The three unknown Cullens; Dr. Carlise Cullen, Mrs. Esme Cullen and Edward Cullen were a mystery to her. She wished to know them, and had heard nothing but good things about all of them in the two weeks she was here, even from... Edward Cullen...

"Nice? Well... As _**nice**_ as they are Mouse, I think it'd be best if you kept your distance."said Sam, very carefully, sternness in his voice.

Bella frowned, and let the towel drop from her shoulders in the dimming light.

"Why?" she asked.

Sam's fist clench, before he opened his mouth. Not a single sound came out, and he looked at the ground with a frustrated look.

"Because they can be dangerous." was all he said.

Bella blinked, and thought to the inhuman people she knew that the Cullens and the Hales were. What exactly, she still wasn't sure, as she was only at the very beginning of the shape shifter chapter in her the Creatures of the Night book,(one of the many books of shadow that were within the chest), and she wanted to respect their identity, despite Gypsy's protests... But, the tone that Sam had used... The serious, grim faces of everyone as they looked at her... They knew. Whatever the Cullens and the Hales were, they knew. And they wanted to warn her. They wanted to help her... They wanted to _**save**_ her. Whatever the Cullens and the Hales were scared them, and though that should worry her, Bella only thought it sweet that they wanted to protect her from what they were... She was a little made that they were so... Mistrusting to people that were really beginning to be very important to her, but she dismissed it to linger on the fact that they wanted to save her.

"Yes, I'm sure they can, but they have not given any sign to freak me out, let alone hurt me."said Bella softly, emotion at their care filling her chest.

The grip of Sam's fist tighten even further.

"Then none of them have done anything weird or disturbing?"

Bella's thoughts flashed to Edward Cullen's reaction to her. She didn't know why he had acted like that. She only knew what Gypsy had told her, that it had been _**her **_fault, and that because her very essence was what hurt him, because it was tailored to torture him... That he was in a lot of physical and mental pain, just because of her. It had made Bella hate herself, and then him for being the person that would react to her this way. The only person Gypsy had told her that would react that way.

"Nothing of the sort." said Bella after a moment, tilting her head to the side with a wide smile.

The lie had fallen from her lips far too quickly she noted... But it had satisfied Sam, to a degree. He couldn't order her or make her leave the Cullens and Hales alone, so now that he knew they weren't about to kill her, Bella figured that he would leave at that for a while... And he did. They passed the rest of the night in relative calm. They danced around the campfire, they sang, they talked, and even at Embry's instance, they took a another swim, though the didn't dare jump the cliffs with no light. It was around seven that Bella decided to head home, and she did that with much grief from the pack, who wanted her to stay just an hour longer. She did nothing of the sort, and was soon in her truck, waving goodbye, necklace once again firmly around her neck, having been taken out of one of the many secret compartments Bella had molded into the truck's body, a nifty trick she had gotten from her mother's car and metal working phase when she had been six.

The weight of the heavy thing around her neck felt like a shackle, and she sighed as she tapped her barefoot, flip-flops in the her large tote bag(gifted to her from Emily). She was still in her swimsuit, oddly enough, not feeling any cold as she drove, shorts over the suit, and a blanket. She knew that the heat wouldn't last, as she had seen on the news that the next day would be under the forties and raining... It was then as she drove that Bella saw them. Within the darkness of the woods along the side of the road, seven pairs of glowing, savage eyes bore into her. It took all of Bella's willpower not to scream, nor to serve off the road. Instead she drove as normal, noting that the eyes followed her, carefully. Tailing her. They were too tall to be any normal animal, almost at eye level with her truck's roof. That meant that these animals were supernatural in origin...

Werewolves? She thought that with a trembling gasp, knowing that though mostly extinct in the Eurasian continent, were quite active and alive in the Americas, Australia, as well as the African... She looked to the sky as discretely as she could. She was afraid that maybe the moon would be covered, but she was lucky enough to catch a glimpse before it disappeared from the sky. She was even more lucky because the moon wasn't full, a small little sliver of a waxing crescent had barely been visible... So not Werewolves or any type of Were thought Bella. She knew for a fact that some mineral in the moon's surface, in combination with the full moon made a chemical reaction happen through a Were's skin. Without those two factors a Were wouldn't turn.

Shifters her mind whispered.

Yes, the animals, or really the people tailing her were most likely Shifters. The question wasn't really what they were... But _**why**_ they followed her. This she had no answer to, so Bella simply allowed herself to calm down, and drive the rest of the way home. She noted as she got closer to Forks, the more the eyes would disappear. It wasn't until when she was safe in her bed, hair wet from her shower, covered in blankets, and with the window, and door locked did she note something. Throughout the whole drive home, despite her nerves, Bella had felt protected. Whoever the Shifters are she thought as the rain started pounding on the roof, was no enemy to her... And with that thought, Bella fell into a deep, for once nightmare free, oblivion.

* * *

**AN: I do not own any rights to Twilight, whatsoever, and in any shape or form. I do however own any OCs in this fic, including the stalker man in the tree, and all of the magical concepts used within the story, as in, how magic works within it, as well of the titles of said magic. Oh, and the plot... That thingy too.**

**By the way, if your wondering, yes the Pack is already forming. I've decided to take a little liberty, and the wolves form every generation, regardless of lack of those who like to go nom nom on people's neck. After all, in this universe, vampires aren't the only things out to get humans, and I think 'Better safe than sorry' policy would be more sane than, Lets wait 'till things are around and eating people to change! Proximity to other supernatural creatures, do however trigger the Shifters pack to grow bigger. I've also decided to call them Shifters, because in cannon that's what they really are, not werewolves as they think they are... Bella will point that out with glee when she finds out they're the wolves.**

**I'd also like to say that updating this soon is very strange and rare, and sadly because of real life butting in, taking time away from writing, will likely not allow this to happen very often. Thank you my lovely readers for being so patient with me, since most of the time I update once a month. Please review as well, they allow me to know if you read, and if you like what you are reading, as well as inspire me for future chapters... I hope you liked this chapter, and please, I really mean please, review.**

**Next Chapter: Trust Me.(For any of those who have read my second version of this story, it will divert from that greatly... Hopefully.)**

**~Peace,**

**Moon Witch**


	9. Trust Me

**Trust Me**

_Monday._

He paced as if it was his execution he was preparing for, fingertips twitching, trying to get the feeling of complete nervousness out of his system as he paced his room, eyes firmly on the thin, cheep carpet, noting that the 'retro' orange was stained in various places. Most looked like food stains, or maybe even beer and other various cheep drinks, all alcoholic in nature. His better than average eyes could detect the mild-dew, and he smelled it as well with his sensitive nose. He sometimes hated his better than human senses, but found that he had no choice in the matter... It was in his chemical make-up, in his very DNA, and who was he to judge or hate the gifts the powers at be(whatever they may be) had given him?

But somethings in his overpriced dorm-room just looked downright disturbing... What could he expect with this rat-infested dorm? Expensive, but totally disgusting, or at least, he thought. He didn't even know why he was going through the pretext of college. He was twenty-five, had his masters in teaching and English of all things, with three minors, and he didn't need to pretend his to be the age he looked liked, which was eighteen, or nineteen at the most. One of the downsides of aging slowly he suppose, rubbing absently where he saw a silver line on his wrist. His aging would slow down even further, until he hit his second century. Then he would slowly come to look his age, and maybe if he was lucky he would get to reach that mythical third century. Somehow, he doubted that would happen. A certain, petite brunette with a name that meant beautiful swan was going to be the cause of his early grave. He ignored the way that silver line suddenly flickered inside his tan skin, as if it was reacting in tension at the mere thought of the girl.

Muttering under his breath as he finally got tired of pacing and collapsed on his bed. The weak and old mattress groaned slightly on his slight weight, some spare springs hitting certain areas in his back, and he was grateful by the fact that he didn't sleep here. Somehow, a tree was much more comfortable. He sighed at the thought, and was brought back to what had caused him to pace so furiously and nervously in the first place.

He was going to go to her.

He was going to meet the girl he had been protecting from the shadows since December fifth of last year. And, he was being a complete coward about it. What would she think, him creeping around and watching her all the time? She was young, and young people tended to not understand the simple concept that it was for their own good. His brief stunts as a teacher, before the shit had hit the fan had proven that well enough. He himself had been like that at her age, and surly would have kicked anyone's ass for even trying to do half the things he did to keep her a secret. Or taken out whatever firearm her father kept within the home and taken a shot, probably a well aimed one considering what her mother had done in preparation to keep her safe.

He stalked her, kept in pace with her, unless of course she was at school, where he would slip away, attend a class or two here. Then attend the summonings whenever they occurred, try to rank up, and come back just to watch the girl toss and turn the night away, before she woke up, usually violently or screaming. Most likely, both, since it seemed that the girl was adapt at multitasking. Her father, after the first few weeks had stopped coming to her room, the locked door had prevented him, he was sure, and he remember seeing the father's expression when he had first turned the knob, hearing the distinctive lock sound, and shaking the knob a few times as if to assure himself that it was locked.

He had been stunned, and had stood in front of the door for more than a few minutes. He had heaved a sigh, and simply slipped away, his heavy foot falls sounding all the louder in his own ears. Then the father had entered his own bedroom. He had slipped out of the hallway closet, knowing he couldn't enter the girl's room to calm her down anymore, as she was probably wide awake now... He had slipped back into his trusty tree that night, and had watched her read a book with a book light. Her face had been cast in the pale, yellow light of it, sharp, pale, eyes deeply underlined by purple bruises that came with the lack of sleep(insomnia to make it more accurate, really), but healthier than he had seen in a while. She had a little glow to her pale skin, and her features, though sharp, we're filling in with a healthy plumpness. She was gaining weight, or really, she was gaining muscle.

Someone was feeding her well, he'd supposed. Trying to keep her healthy. He'd have to thank them later for that, because she was his responsibility. He snorted at the thought. Him of all people, with responsibility? It was a cruel joke the powers at be had played on him, and true, even if he was the most serious one of the family, he wasn't cut out for this kind of shit. Phil had always been the baby guy, and in all, loved kids to death... He however, hated kids, and it was evident in his attitude towards one Isabella Swan, who looked so much like a child herself.(Or at least, in his eyes.)

He looked at the beat up alarm clock near her bed, the glowing red numbers bright against the ancient and stained wall. Seven o'clock... If he took the long human way, he could get there by mid-afternoon, around her lunch time... It could be a good time to 'meet' her again... Maybe get that fucking thing off from around her neck? He knew if he turned it in, not only would he rank up, the girl would be safe from the wrath of whoever wanted the Locket of Twilight, the Key to finding the Maiden, Mother and Crone. Then she would be safe... And the Volturi would be the problem to those three unfortunate women. And he could leave her alone then, her life safe and his own sanity put back in order as he left behind the woman-child Isabella Swan, finally. His life would be normal, and the girl who had grown up mortal would simply never enter his world with monsters and evil witches who hunted in the dark, where things bump in the night and killed those not strong enough to bump back hard enough.

He could only wish that was true as he jingled his keys in hand, heading for the door.

**0000000**

She woke with a jolt, and like so many nights before, a scream in her throat. A raw, pure noise of a terrified scream that made her very bones quiver with the force of it. There was only one difference between her nightmares of before, she had never woken up with _**this **_feeling. The cold spiders ran up her spin in a continuous cycle, and her whole body littered it self with goosebumps. Her throat stopped. Her mouth snapping closed with the odd sensation. She curled up into a ball, trying to rid herself of the feeling, the feeling of coldness in the very marrow of her bones, of the horrible feeling curling in her stomach like some kind of monster about pounce. Tears so ready to fall lingered on the edge of her lashes, and she felt a sob in the back of her throat rise like bile. She pushed it back with a grimace, trying in vain to slow the rapid movement of her seemingly raw lungs. A single word came to mind as she felt the need to say it out loud;

"_**Fuck**_."she whispered hoarsely, rubbing her hands harshly on her arms.

She ignored the reprimanding hum from around her neck as she sat up, moving her hand through her surly unruly hair.

"_Bambina__, must you always use such crude words? The old ones of your Coven did not toil as hard as __they did for you to say such things! Especially because of your __Sentimenti__!"_said the Gypsy, accented voice harassed and filled with scandal.

Bella sighed. She knew better now than to cross her great-great-great(so many greats that she could never really remember, or day say aloud) grandmother. The woman was a hard-ass and formal to a tee, and it showed in her conduct, use of language and her teachings. To make her mad now would only give her grief and exhaustion later, and Bella had no really need for that at the moment, with as little sleep as she got. Besides, she had come to respect the old crone(not that she looked it) in the past two weeks of tutelage. A hard feat in itself, the woman gained her respect in her attitude and what she had to offer. She knew the history of their Coven by heart, and she knew the secrets and tricks of the dozens of people that had held her above their breast. The fact that she was teaching them to her was only a reason to be nice as possible to the woman, other than the fact that she was rather comforting companion of course...

"Yes, _Nonna_." she replied softly, guilt evident in her voice.

Said _Nonna_ sighed softly.

"_Hurry child, the hour grows late, go do your foolish run in the cold._" she said with in a tired tone.

Bella, despite herself couldn't help but smile. She knew since she had picked up a Italian dictionary in an effort to understand Gypsy's words, and had started calling her grandmother in one of her Native tongues that she had found her weak spot. The only way to get out of a jam with her or get her to teach her beyond what she thought what she was ready for was to call her _Nonna_. Helpful thing to know, really. With that cheery thought Bella got dressed in her running shorts, sweater and her sneakers. The feel of the familiar, now worn cloth was comforting in an odd way, and as she popped in the headphones she couldn't help but relax even further. Despite the odd and terrible feeling in her gut, she felt calm, and even calmer as the music of old crooned in her ears, like a forgotten lullaby.

"I love this song..." she mumbled as she reached for her hair brush.

With ease and practice she wound her hair into a high ponytail, noting faintly that her over long hair needed a trim. It had been at her waist a few months ago, but was now past her nonresistant butt, and at the rate it was going would soon reach her knees. No split ends. She frowned. Her hair care hadn't been the best until only two weeks prior, and yet it was still as nice, if not nicer than what it had been before December the fifth. Her mother's suppression on her powers seemed to have some strange backlashes. A vain part of her felt that to be a good thing... Shoving the thought aside, she brushed her teeth, and then looked at herself critically in the mirror.

Tired, and bagged violet eyes looked back at her. Her skin was still as pale as ever, if not paler than before because of the lack of sunlight, or maybe the addition of unsuppressed magic? But there was a slightly healthy glow to it, and she noticed her cheeks, that had been heading towards becoming gaunt now had a little bit of fat. The smallest traces of freckles that had been across her nose were gone, and her mouth seemed plumper. She frowned again with those plumper lips. She looked down, at her body, and without pause lifted her sweater. A slender, tone stomach met her gaze, if a little sunken in, to a degree that most wouldn't have seen it. Twisting, she checked to see for her ribs. They showed starkly against her pale skin, and she huffed. Looking at her 'figure', Bella felt like a starved child.

She sighed, and pushed down her sweater. Her boy hips didn't help she thought with a wry twist of her nose as she walked down the stairs.

"_... If your in it for love... You ain't gonna get to far*._" she mumbled softly as she left the house, jingling her keys, her fingertips rubbing absently at the little red phoenix.

She began her 'foolish run in the cold' as soon as her sneaker clad feet hit the grayed asphalt, little light showing in the sky and not a soul in sight. She ran until she was sheen with sweat and until a few short play-lists on her mp3 were complete, and she was utterly exhausted by the time she return home, aching for a shower and to get something in her miraculously growling stomach. Unbeknownst to Bella, she had begun to sing along to each song that came to her ears, as a reflex, and her foot tapped to the beat of the song currently playing as she picked out her clothing.

"_Last night a little angel came pumping to my door...*_" she sang softly, sorting through her rather small, and sparse looking closet with a slight frown.

She looked to see that most of her 'warmer' clothes were either in the wash down stairs, or in the hamper. She frowned, and debated between a soot free skirt, that was rather long, and rather pretty, or a more safe looking slacks. Mentally, she knew that it wasn't that cold, and she could survive the day with the skirt, but she also knew that the slacks would be comfortable. After much internal debate, Bella did the mature thing, closed her eyes, spun around a few times, and reached inward toward the clothes, and grabbed without much ceremony. When she opened her eyes, the violet skirt was in her hands, and she smiled slightly. Skirt it was then, and paired with a black blouse, she would look presentable, in a comfortable way that would not make her look like a hobo(despite how comfortable their clothing looked). With that thought, she ran off for a shower, and tried not to linger too long in the warm spray.

She failed miserably and was scrambling to get out, swearing at a constant speed, her _Nonna_ humming up a storm of disprovable, and Bella glancing at the clock. She was not so pleased at the hour, and knew that she could not even make herself a quick breakfast. So with wet hair, and hopping into her sneakers, she snagged her backpack and ran to her truck. The engine as it turned on wasn't the lion's roar as before, because she had found the time to fix it over the past two weeks, and was now a soft purr. It had given her dad quite the scare, watching her jump up and dig through the hood. He had thought she had no idea what she was doing, that is until she explained herself. He had seemed pleasantly surprised, but confused as to why his ex-wife had taken various auto-related lessons in the first place. But Bella had simply smiled sadly at her father's question, and told him that was what her mother was like...

He had asked nothing else after that, she thought as she turned at the light, watching the sky absently. Nothing at all, too lost in the pain of first love that he had never truly gotten over.

"_Carry on my way ward son... I'll be there when you are done_...*" she sang softly, eyes on the road tightening slightly with the almost there feeling of tears.

She made it to school without trouble, not even really paying attention, driving on autopilot. Her head bobbed up and down to the music of her ear buds, faintly noting that she must look ridiculous, but finding that she didn't care. She swayed slightly, still bobbing her head as the pitch of the singer reached a high point, ecstasy in their voice and tone, and swung her backpack onto her shoulder in a practiced movement, and hopped out of her truck. Her door soon slammed shut and she dusted off her skirt, her head still bobbing along to the music, a small smile on her face. She really, really liked this song, and for the hundredth time she applauded Phil's musical taste. It was eerie, actually, how close his was to her own. The only thing really lacking was a classical score list, which she had reluctantly added, hatting to tarnish the spirit of the gift, and only doing so when she had checked her musical buyer, to find a lot more money than she had put there herself. It seemed that Phil wanted to keep her constantly happy, or at least audio wise, and found the gesture sweet and cheesy at the same time. Which, if she thought carefully about it, was very much like the gift giver himself.

"Bella!"screamed out a collection of voices, snapping her out of the melancholy.

The Cullens were a massive stampede, heading towards her at a not quite human pace, all five of their faces, save one, were beaming as they tore across the parking lot... Bella blinked and saw the flash of bronze at the back of her welcoming party, his face blank, looking nothing more than curiously polite. It seemed that Edward Cullen was not sick anymore, and she felt herself glad. It had been her fault after all, and she hoped whatever part of her essence afflicted the supernatural boy would be on the back burner today. A part of her faintly registered the fact that the gawking of the other human students had finally stopped as they prowled gracefully to her.

"He-"she started to great them, only to have a muffin stuffed into her mouth.

She blinked, and hastily chewed the apple and cinnamon concoction so as not to choke on it. It was delicious, she thought, one the best she had had, and the apples were perfect in texture, and so warm that it the heat went to her toes. The cinnamon swirled on her tongue, and she knew right then and there that this muffin was the best thing she had ever eaten in a long time, for it tasted nothing like chalk and sawdust.

"Eat."said Rosalie simply, handing her a metal container surly full of food, as well as a warm thermos.

Bella did so, and felt a flush of warmth for the older girl.

"I'd figure you'd run late today because of the weekend, so I told Rose to make you breakfast!"said Alice, giggling as she had just made an inside joke.

She flushed in embarrassment, and looked to the floor. She chewed and ate some of what was given, ignoring the rolling nausea, lamenting that even with something this delicious brought that out. She sipped her warm, vanilla filled hot chocolate with glee. As soon as she had finished the muffin, she looked up to smile at the taller girl.

"Thank you, Rosalie."she softly, flushing again.

Rosalie's golden eyes flashed with pleasure, and she simply smiled at her, white teeth gleaming in a way those of an artistic nature would kill to draw, or capture in one way or another. Bella could particularly hear the old masters in her head, clawing at each other and trying to capture her first, and the most accurately.

"Bella, meet my brother Edward, the guy with the week immune system."said Emmett, a broad grin on his face.

She felt as if she had missed some sort of inside joke as he roared with laughter, clapping a wincing and very irritated looking Edward.

"Oh, pleased to meet you."she said softly, warily, trying to keep her distance so as not to provoke the same reaction as two weeks prior.

He smiled, a soft, beautiful smile that quirked slightly to the left, giving him mischievous, and boyish look. Somehow, despite its beauty, Bella found the smile to be very stiff on his handsome face, and a hardness to his slightly dark gold eyes.

"The pleasure is mine, I'm sorry if I appeared short with you before, illness puts me in a foul mood."he said formally, stiff smile still in place.

Bella smiled her self, stuffing her breakfast into the crook of one of her arms, and extending the other to hold out her hand. Edward, for his part, looked blankly at it, as if trying to connect what her hand was being shoved in his general direction. She waited, patiently, she thought, for him to do so. She ignored the alarmed humming in her chest, courtesy of her Nonna, and took a step forward. Edward did not back away, as he seemed very ready to do, but simply starred at her hand as if it was a the most curious thing in the world. His golden eyes burned molten, and the jewel like irises seemed intent to burn a hole through her small, pale hand. Bella almost snorted at his strange behavior, and instead reached out with a quickness that still unsettled her, and snapped his large, paler hand into her own.

"It's called a handshake, generally exchanged as two humans meet the other."she said with a small, mischievous smile of her own.

Edward blinked in surprise.

The girl's smile was genuine, soft thing that was more than a little shy, and her hand was the softest thing that had ever graced his own in a long time. It was even softer than Ferre's fur, the groves of her pale hand only a shade or two darker than his own skin, he noted, feeling the delicate bones that felt as if he could snap them even with human strength. And she gave him a firm, shake, stronger and bolder than what he had observed to be her usual nature.

"I see."he said simply, giving her a smile of his own.

It was a true smile, he thought with surprise. Not forced nor plastered on his face to put the girl at ease, and he wondered what it was about the girl that made him react in such a way. He took a deep breathe, feeling her strange, floral and spicy scent call to him, resting somewhere in the back of the inferno that was his throat. His mouth flooded with venom, and he swallowed thickly to rid himself of it. To distract himself from the thought of the taste of her blood, Edward hastily released her hand, and focused on the only thing other than the thoughts of his tense siblings, who were ready to pounce on him to protect the girl. The music coming from the girl's ears was a welcome distraction, indeed. For the second time, Edward blinked in surprise.

She was listening to a band he hardly ever heard anymore, and he stared at her red headphone buds in interest. Seemed as if the girl had a strange taste for her generation, for suddenly the hard rocker of the mullet age ended and the soft, winding notes of Debussy took its place. Claire de Lune, he thought, brows rising without restraint.

"Again, pleased to meet you, but I have to go to class." she said.

Edward knew he had to speak to this girl, and so on instinct, he reached out with lightning quickness to snatch up her thin wrist. It amused him, somewhere in the back of the mind that he was so quick to touch her now, when he had been so reluctant to do before. The offered hand had thrown him for a loop, considering he had probably sacred the girl to death a fortnight prior. The fact that she had wanted to touch him, even with something as casual as a handshake, had confused him and aroused his curiosity in the same moment. It was in the same second that he gripped her wrist that her thermos, balanced carefully in the crook of her arm atop her food container, darted to the ground, and the girl reached out with her own lightning fast movement to catch it with her hand, still in his lose grip. He caught it first, with his own spare hand. He blinked at the speed, knowing if he had not caught it first, the girl would have.

"I wanted to speak to you."he said simply.

Her violet eyes narrowed at him, her small, full mouth pinching slightly. He handed the girl her thermos, careful not to touch her hand again.

"Alright. So speak."she said with no heat, but an edge of wariness to her soft voice.

With a nod, he released her wrist, clenching his hand open and closed absently to rid himself of the zinging shots of warmth her skin had caused on his own.

"I'm not going to lie to you Isabella. I really do think you should stay away from my family."he said it carefully, ignoring the slight narrowed look she gave him.

"Why?"she snapped, clearly growing agitated at what he was asking.

"Because!...It would be the safest thing for you!"he said, snapping back.

She narrowed her eyes further, and laughed, long and hard.

"I'm not a child, nor are you the one to protect me from harm. I know what is safe for me."she said it with heat and eyes blazing violet fire.

His own eyes narrowed at her curious choice of defense.

"You are acting like a child for not following my advice!" he threw back.

She let out a snort.

"NO! You are acting like a child for not allowing me question what you tell me out of the blue, as if I have to follow what you tell me to do at the drop of a hat! I don't even _know_ you! Why on earth should I trust you?"she said, actually stomping her foot in her agitation.

"Because it could keep you alive."he whispered, almost blurting it out.

Her violet eyes, so narrow, opened wide, and her already pale face turned to a color shockingly close to his own. She then simply frowned, lips pinching in simple distaste. Edward, not being able to read her mind could only come to one shocking conclusion as she looked to the ground, suddenly biting her lip in nervousness. She knew. She was like other humans, her instincts screaming to her that they were dangerous. But, unlike them, she did not shy away. This bewildered him as he looked on at her.

"They won't hurt me."she whispered, still staring straight at the ground.

Her voice, though soft and hardly audible, held an unshaken faith.

"You can't know that. And because of it your putting yourself in danger. What would your mother say to this?"he asked.

She tensed, wide eyes lifting up as if she was a deer and he were the headlights. She smiled then, a sad crushing smile and he knew without having Jasper to tell him that the sadness that was always mixed with her dominant emotions had come to the very surface.

"To trust no one."she said.

Then with a quick, lightening movement she turned straight around and walked away. And Edward stared after her in surprise.

* * *

**AN: I do not own Twilight, it belongs to its authoress and various publishers.**

**Songs:**

**Man Eater, Hall and Oates**

**Rebel Yell, Billy Idol**

**Carry On My Way Ward Son, Kansas. **

**Next Chapter: The Game**


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